This information has been available for sometime now.  The question we should be asking is what food choices must be made to help an ailing planet?  The slaughterhouse industry is responsible for a lot more than people creating a disease managed care system.  The McDiet has fostered a population living on heart bypass, statins, stents, anti-cholesterol meds, high blood pressure etc.  But, Denial is a potent drug.

In the early 1980's I visited South America and upon an excusion into the Amazon jungle saw billowing curling smoke emanating from its womb.  Our guide informed us that due to America and Europes unsatiated desire for more coffee, hybrids had to be created so that coffee could be grown out in the sun rather than harvested from natural trees nestled in shade on mountain slopes.  This is when it started.  Naturally I quit drinking coffee on the spot. 

We as a nation are going to have to start asking hard questions about our health and the health of our planet.  McDiet is not going to allow future generations to see wildlife, wilderness or natural beauty anywhere other than in an old National Geographic.  Watch the documentary Processed People for starters.

Truth. When I did some solid research on US beef/chicken/pork, I discovered it is clearly defined to be a hideous industry, highly political and toxic for consumption. CUT DOWN your intake of this stuff. I am a carnivore, but have reduced my meat consumption by 90% and still serve my taste buds and emotional connection to the idea.

A vegetarian diet is the only choice for those who think and feel something other than a desire for their own satisfaction.

So much denial plays into the things that are ruining the health of our planet.  We are part and parcel to the planet's health.

In  Biology class in college 11 years ago I did a study on the meat industry and the loss of the Amazon rainforest...  and used the paper for a communications class by presenting my findings in an arguement speech for vegetarianism.  It went well, everyone understood very clearly, but there was a contrariness and a defiance toward the maintenance of the attitude that meat was not looked at as an option, but as a mandate for quality of life.  I called the class out on it to examine themselves in their posturing.  The professor was impressed :). 

When asked to defend eating flesh, I've seen how it puts a twinkle of greed in the eye.  It's creepy.   The use of the word "flesh" seems to ring as "too real" and makes people obviously uneasy.

"The Perfectly Contented Meateater's Guide to Vegetarianism" by Mark Warren Reinhardt  is a wonderful source of facts that is written in a way to enlighten flesh-eaters laced with some humor...  Arming one's self with this source of information is good for explaining why being vegetarian is the right choice...  I grew up on a farm and surrounded by them, so the fact that I'm vegetarian means people have treated me as sort of a mutant or enigma.

Wherever the opportunity, cheerfully encourage the use of reason.  When asked "Why?" I often tell people "Well, think about it!  There are only a few types of animal flesh that are generally for use as food, while there are thousands of vegetables to cook with, and I love to cook... AND EAT!  Why do people think that eating flesh is necessary?"

It gives people pause.  I've seen others back off meat after being given the information to think about for themselves...

Those who are militant animal rights activists make vegetarians look like lunatics and hurt the cause tremendously.  It upsets me that they take this approach because it is so counter productive to any influence that might be gained over the consumption of flesh.

Another great resource:

http://www.ivu.org/

"Truly man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs. We live by the death of others: We are burial places!" (DaVinci)

Cheers!

It is true that the way meat is currently produced is a major problem. I think we need to focus on publicizing that and to support better ways of doing things. Everybody does not have to be a vegetarian; in fact the more we can support farmers who are producing meat in sustainable, cruelty-free ways, the more power we give to that method of doing things. Those of us who are interested in eating some meat on occasion can vote with our dollars. To eat sustainably we need to eat less meat and to produce meat in better ways. Those are things we can really do -- it will take awareness, policy, education, a shift in social norms.

Laurie,

I agree with your post.  As both an environmental and animal right activist, I am increasingly frustrated with the disconnect between both these movements.  In some ways we have similar goals because the consumption of animal products is so inefficient and detrimental to the environment and our health.  Not only that, but also, humans see all other life on this earth as below the human race even though animals feel intense pain and value their lives.  (One would think this would be obvious to people?)  

There is no such thing as cruelty-free meat.  No animal wants to be murdered, and as long as the fate of non-human animals is in the hands of humans, they will always be abused.  

Go Green! Go Vegan!

Check out what our Animal Rights friends are doing for climate change on change.org

http://animalrights.change.org/blog/view/save_the_animals_save_the_planet_blog_action_day_09_climate_change

It's the normal thing for most flesh eating folks to want to offer a compromise by admitting they need to cut back and support farmers who use sustainable methods and never consider refraining altogether from eating meat. 

But at the grocery store, the hypocricy begins.

Not many people can afford the organic grass fed beef.  Also, usually the fatty cheap stuff tastes better.  Mmmm.. fat infused corn fed beef.

And no one can tell me otherwise and expect to eliminate my chagrin over the matter.

Anyone with the presence of mind to "cut back" and only eat flesh products that are "properly" raised for slaughter, may actually want to be aware of the truth!  So just as a matter of course, the critical thinking takes one small step further, (and the bathroom scales might help one  decide...  obesity among vegetarians is a relative unknown) and vegetarianism quite simply becomes the only way that makes any sense, holds any weight, is worth arguing for....

Environmentally (inside you and outside) it is truth that prevails when the decision is made.  It's just that simple. 

But an even bigger truth:  most people are not interested in the truth to matters these days.  And I am not militant or unfriendly in my approach.  I treat others with sympathy and compassion, but I won't be enabling anyone to think they're right about this. 

I would be ok with small family farms that raise their own meat.  I would be ok with controlled hunting.  I don't think it's the healthiest diet, but if it means 3 4oz. servings a week for each person or less, I could abide with that... BUT there are 300 MILLION people in the USA alone, and this type of farm is not interested in feeding all of them, nor do we have wildlife, or even wildlife AREAS to support 300 million pounds of meat every 3 days, let alone the 300 million pounds that are eaten every day... because most people eat the equivelant of 4 oz at every MEAL... and that's a pound of meat per day per person... 150,000 TONS a DAY.

Ask your "local butcher" where his beef comes from, and even if you're in the middle of a farming area, it's very likely from Argentina.

Meat from healthy animals who have eaten their natural diet is good for you, good for the animals, and good for the planet. Period. It's a win win win situation.

Veganism/vegetarianism will NOT save anything. Agriculture destroys. Read The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith, a former vegan herself. Check out the first 14 pages here:

www.lierrekeith.com/vegmyth.htm