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Anna Roach

Professor Hughes

English 1201

20 March 2019

Argumentative Essay

Going vegan may seem like a nightmare to some people because most of us don’t enjoy

that drastic of a change in our lifestyle. Where would you get protein, iron, and B vitamins from?

What if I told you a vegan lifestyle would not only improve your health, but also benefit our

environment, poverty, animal extinction, and could even put an end to climate change? Cutting

out animal products from our daily lives is extremely important and people should make this

change in their lives because it will halt climate change, lessen our emission of greenhouse

gases, lessen poverty, change animal extinction patterns, and reduce our risk of obesity, heart

disease, and even cancer.

Greenhouse gases are the main cause of the “greenhouse effect”, which is leading to

global warming. Some examples of greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide and methane, both of

which are highly emitted by livestock farming. How are these things contributing to global

warming? “Carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases act like a blanket, absorbing IR

radiation and preventing it from escaping into outer space. The net effect is the gradual heating

of Earth's atmosphere and surface, a process known as the greenhouse effect” (Lallanila, What is

the Greenhouse Effect?). Thus, lessening our consumption of meat, dairy, and poultry can help

fix this crisis. We need to take more seriously the food we consume, and the impact it has on our

environment. An article from CNN has some shocking statistics on greenhouse gas emissions of
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livestock compared to the gas emission of transportation, and also in comparison to other plant

based products. “An assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

indicated the contribution of the livestock sector to global greenhouse gas emissions exceeds that

of transportation.Emissions from the production of beef and lamb are 250 times higher than

those from legumes, per gram of protein, and pork and poultry are 40 times higher than legumes.

A large amount of methane and nitrous oxide, gases that are more than 20 times and 250 times

more powerful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, are generated through livestock raising

activities” (Wang, Go Vegan, Save the Planet). Thus, the more animal products we consume on a

day to day basis without change, will only cause a downward spiral for our Earth. In fact,

according to a study in Nature, “By 2050 these dietary trends, if unchecked, would be a major

contributor to an estimated 80 per cent increase in global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions

from food production and to global land clearing” (Tilman and Clark, Global diets link

environmental sustainability and human health). From this, we can conclude that our use of

livestock is currently out of control, and is consuming too much land, and causing crisis such as

deforestation of our lands. This 80% increase can, of course, be avoided if we decide to consume

more fruits and vegetables, and lessen the amount of meat and poultry we consume, especially

red meat. Along with this, we need to decrease the amount of land that livestock farming is

currently taking up, along with all of the natural resources that it already takes up. Earth’s natural

resources are not unlimited, and they’re running out quickly. Once we make this change, those

lands will become unnecessary.

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This diagram here shows the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from manure of certain

livestock animals. The UN estimates that this amount of greenhouse gas emission from farming

animals and fishing has doubled in the past 50 years, and that this number is still continuing to

rise! “The United Nations estimates that emissions from agriculture, forestry and fisheries have

nearly doubled in the past 50 years and could increase another 30% by 2050 if we don’t change

course…Beef and dairy cattle are the largest “emitters” of methane gas, which they release

during digestion” (Climate Change and Family Farmers, 2016). Is it really worth it to not change

our eating patterns even when numbers suggest a 30% increase of greenhouse gas emission?

Farmers are trying their best to come up with a solution to this problem of cattle methane

emissions, but there is still no absolute solution to this issue. Some of the solutions include:

“Farming methods that reduce chemical inputs and employ soil-building practices like crop

rotation and rotational grazing help draw atmospheric carbon back into the earth and reduce

fossil fuel-based GHG emissions… Farmers are innovating the use of methane digesters that

break down manure into solids and gases. These anaerobic digesters capture methane before it

can pollute the atmosphere and use it to fuel engines and generate electricity” (Climate Change
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and Family Farmers, 2016). This issue needs to be addressed urgently for farmers because if

methane continues to rise, thus causing a raise in global temperature, crops will begin to fail due to

the heat.

The CNN article goes on to make some more valid points about the harm that animal

product consumption is causing. “Beyond contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions

that cause rising temperatures and sea levels, here's what eating meat also does to our world:

While almost 800 million people suffer from chronic undernourishment and insecure food

supplies, 35% of grains worldwide are fed to livestock” (Wang, Go Vegan, Save the Planet).

This means that our love of meat is causing other people in need of food to starve. Thus, eating

too much meat is causing poverty that can be changed. We could feed all of these grains to

people who are facing malnourishment. Another point made by the author of the CNN article is

this: “About 80% of all Amazon deforestation is due to cattle raising. Meanwhile, livestock

production plays an important role in the global biodiversity crisis that we are now facing”

(Wang, Go Vegan Save the Planet). This mass global biodiversity crisis is not only being defined

by global warming, but by deforestation as well.

Recently, in Haiti, a problem occurred such as this one. There was a mass extinction

caused mainly by the effects of deforestation. “The loss of more than 99 percent of primary,

virgin forests in Haiti is triggering an ongoing mass extinction of reptiles, amphibians, and other

species. This deforestation is the main threat to species globally, more than disease, climate

change or invasive species… The findings..suggest that in less than two decades Haiti will lose

all of its remaining primary forest cover and, as a result, most of its endemic species will

disappear..Haitians are cutting their forests primarily for charcoal and agriculture” (Deforestation
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Triggered mass extinction of endemic animal species in Haiti). If this crisis is occurring Haiti,

why can’t it occur in other parts of the world as well? Our large amount of animal consumption

is causing species, native to Haiti and only native to Haiti, to go extinct. Who’s to say that the

United States cannot have this problem as well? This article was publicly released in October of

2018, so it’s very much still relevant to today.

Consuming animal products will not only cause our climate to change and drive

animals out of their habitats, but it also will, eventually, be one of the main causes of mass

extinction. Did you know that Earth is currently going through its 6th mass extinction? It's being

caused mainly by human actions. The Center for Biological Diversity has much to say on this

issue of a mass extinction that is almost certain to happen if we don’t change our eating habits.

“The current crisis is almost entirely caused by us — humans. In fact, 99 percent of currently

threatened species are at risk from human activities, primarily those driving habitat loss,

introduction of exotic species, and global warming. Because the rate of change in our biosphere

is increasing, and because every species' extinction potentially leads to the extinction of others

bound to that species in a complex ecological web, numbers of extinctions are likely to snowball

in the coming decades as ecosystems unravel” (The Extinction Crisis). If these are man caused

problems, we should be almost certain that we can reverse, or if not, at least slow down these

devastating effects.

Along with the negative effects of animal product consumption on the environment, there

are negative impacts on one's health as well. Animal products are high in fats, especially

saturated, and high in cholesterol. Too much of this in our diets can cause heart disease, heart

failure, liver failure, liver disease, and even cancer. According to an article found in One Green
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Planet, “Animal proteins are so high in concentrated amino acids that when consistently eaten in

high doses (like high protein animal-based diets include), over time, the liver becomes

overworked, bogged down, and ammonia and other toxins become backed up in the bloodstream.

This can make you tired, sluggish, and your elimination organs (kidneys, colon, etc.) all start to

malfunction or slow down...The National Liver Foundation (NLF) also addresses how beneficial

a vegetarian/plant-based diet is for a healthy liver by stating, “It has been proved beyond doubt

that some of the proteins derived from animals are responsible for producing persistent

symptoms related to liver disease. Thus, vegetarian diets, as mentioned below, has gained

momentum in the treatment of hepatic disorders.”’ (McClees, The Effects of Too Much Animal

Protein). This article proves that consuming too much animal protein is not good for our health,

and that in order to live a healthier lifestyle, we should consume more plant-based foods. As

mentioned with the liver, the heart is another major part of the body that gets affected negatively

when consuming too many animal products. Nearly all foods that are high in cholesterol tend to

be animal products or animals themselves. Examples of foods high in cholesterol include, but are

not limited to: eggs, cheeses, shellfish, butter, and red meat. So what are the effects of

cholesterol on the heart? According to WebMD, “Too much cholesterol in your body is a risk

factor for heart disease...When there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in the

walls of your arteries, causing a process called atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease….The

arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart muscle is slowed down or blocked. The

blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if not enough blood and oxygen reach your heart, you may

suffer chest pain. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage,

the result is a heart attack” (Steinbaum, Cholesterol and Heart Disease).

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Eating meat can heighten your risk of cancer because you are exposed to carcinogens and

other cancer causing factors. “Cooking meats at high temperatures, prolonged exposure to heat

and cooking by various types of grilling results in the formation of heterocyclic amines and

polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons both of which have been linked to colorectal cancer

development… Similar to red meat, processed meat is rich in fat, protein and haem iron which

can promote tumorigenesis through the mechanisms described above” (Meat, fish, & dairy

products and the risk of cancer). Heterocyclic amines are chemical compounds which contain at

least one kind of heterocyclic ring, which contains atoms from 2 different kinds of elements. A

article from the National Cancer Institute goes into great detail into explaining how these

chemical compounds are so harmful to the body, and exactly how they can cause cancer.

“Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemicals

formed when muscle meat, including beef, pork, fish, or poultry, is cooked using high-

temperature methods, such as pan frying or grilling directly over an open flame..In laboratory

experiments, HCAs and PAHs have been found to be mutagenic—that is, they cause changes in

DNA that may increase the risk of cancer...In many experiments, rodents fed a diet supplemented

with HCAs developed tumors of the breast, colon, liver, skin, lung, prostate, and other

organs..Rodents fed PAHs also developed cancers, including leukemia and tumors of the

gastrointestinal tract and lungs..However, the doses of HCAs and PAHs used in these studies

were very high—equivalent to thousands of times the doses that a person would consume in a

normal diet” () So while the rodents in the experiment were given rather high doses of PAHs and

HCAs, this evidence does suggest that when us humans consume meat with these chemicals over

a long period of time, we are at higher risk for developing cancer.

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The most common counter argument against eating a vegan or more plant based diet is

that: Plant based diets seem to be lacking in iron, B vitamins, Vitamin D, protein, and amino

acids. The answer to this is simple: if you choose to switch to a plant based diet the correct way,

then you will be living a healthier lifestyle and consume enough nutrients to do so. A blogger

named Jordan Younger shares her experience about going vegan the wrong way. She lacked

protein and essential vitamins in her diet, and she did not consult a nutritionist before deciding to

go vegan. “Her lips were blue, her hair was falling out, her skin was blotchy and she hadn’t had

her period in six months due to extreme vitamin deficiency...“It was stopping me from leading a

normal life full of social activities and other interests.”...Often she felt so weak, she had to work

on her laptop computer from bed…” (Ridley, My Vegan Diet Almost Killed Me). She obviously

was suffering from extreme anemic symptoms because her body was lacking in nutrition.

However, she did not go vegan the right way. Obviously before making such a huge diet change,

you need to keep track of how much protein, iron, etc. you are consuming, and it’s smart to

consult a doctor or dietician before doing so. You cannot live of a green juice detox! Vegan.com

includes a helpful nutrition guide on their website that includes all types of nutrients, and what

vegan foods are high in those certain nutrients. “While simply eating a variety of whole plant

foods will increase your odds of avoiding chronic diseases, meeting nutrient needs on a vegan

diet does require some attention...You may have heard that it’s impossible for vegans to fall short

of protein needs if they eat enough calories and choose whole plant foods. That’s not quite true,

though...Two servings per day of legumes are likely to provide sufficient lysine, and three

servings delivers an extra margin of safety...The best way to meet your iron needs as a vegan is

to include beans and whole grains in your menus and to include vitamin C-rich foods in meals as
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often as possible” (Messina, Vegan Nutrition Guide). When done the proper way, going vegan

can be perfectly safe and healthy!

Another common counter argument against plant-based diets is: Humans are meant to eat

meat because lack of protein, iron, and vitamin found in meat can cause us to become tired, feel

sick, and lose weight in an unhealthy way. Humans also have 4 sharp canine teeth, a common

characteristic in almost every omnivorous or carnivorous animal. While this is true that lack of

protein, etc. in the diet does have negative effects, there is no evidence that “humans were meant

to eat meat” In fact, many of our ancestors that ate plant-based diets have large canine teeth as

well, which were used for simply chewing up plant matter more thoroughly. Humans also do not

have the correct PH in our stomach to digest meat, which is the reason why we have to cook

meat instead of eating it raw, like all carnivorous animals do. An article on Care2 shares

additional information regarding the argument of “humans were meant to eat meat”. “If you

compare our canine teeth to those of our distant relative gorillas, which are completely

vegetarian, you will see that even those gentle giants have canines that outmeasure our own

greatly...Humans have long folding intestines that allow for food to move slowly through our

digestive system, which allows our bodies to absorb as many nutrients as possible before the

food is passed...We lack the proper PH in our stomach acid to digest meat properly without

thorough cooking. An animal who eats meat has the stomach PH of less than or equal to 1,

whereas plant-eating animals have a PH of 4-5, which is what human beings have” (Keegan, 10

Arguments Against a Vegan Lifestyle).

Making the decision to go vegan may seem overwhelming and scary at first, but it’s

worth so much more than your food preference. What if you miss the taste of red meat? Think
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about it, that “flavor” you get from a big, juicy steak is nothing but a smoky flavor seasoned by

plants such as peppercorns or chilis! The decision to go vegan will not only benefit your health,

but it’s also the more ethical thing to do. Cutting out animal products from our daily lives is

extremely important and people should make this change in their lives because it will halt

climate change, lessen our emission of greenhouse gases, lessen poverty, change animal

extinction patterns, and reduce our risk of obesity, heart disease, and even cancer. Going vegan is

the first step to a better world for all. Wouldn't you agree that the Earth is worth more than your

meat preferences?
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Works Cited

Lallanila, Marc. “What Is the Greenhouse Effect?” LiveScience, Purch, 7 Mar. 2018,

www.livescience.com/37743-greenhouse-effect.html.

Wang, George C. “Go Vegan, Save the Planet.” CNN, Cable News Network, 9 Apr. 2017,

www.cnn.com/2017/04/08/opinions/go-vegan-save-the-planet-wang/index.html.

Tilman, David, and Michael Clark. “Global Diets Link Environmental Sustainability and Human

Health.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 12 Nov. 2014,

www.nature.com/articles/nature13959.

CST_TempleU. “Deforestation Triggered Mass Extinction of Endemic Animal Species in Haiti.”

EurekAlert!, 2018, www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/tuco-dtm102918.php.

The Extinction Crisis,

www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/elements_of_biodiversity/extinction_

crisis/.

McClees, Heather. “The Effects of Too Much Animal Protein on Our Liver.” One Green Planet,

One Green Planet, 5 Sept. 2017, www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/the-effects-of-too-

much-animal-protein-on-our-liver/.

Steinbaum , Suzanne. “Cholesterol and Heart Disease.” WebMD, WebMD, 2018,

www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-disease-lower-cholesterol-risk#1.
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American Institute for Cancer Research. “Meat, Fish, Dairy & Cancer .” World Research Cancer

Fund, 2018, www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/exposures/meat-fish-dairy.

“Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk.” National Cancer Institute,

2017, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/cooked-meats-fact-

sheet.

Keegan. “10 Arguments Against A Vegan Lifestyle.” Care2 Causes, 2010,

www.care2.com/causes/10_arguments_against_a_vegan_lifestyle.html.

Ridley, Jane. “My Vegan Diet Almost Killed Me.” New York Post, New York Post, 4
Nov. 2015, nypost.com/2015/11/04/my-vegan-diet-almost-killed-me/.

“Climate Change and Family Farmers – Farm Aid.” Farm Aid, 6 Feb. 2019,
www.farmaid.org/blog/fact-sheet/climate-change-farmers/.