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The only thing Kevin (HeyyDude) said in his post which should be taken =
seriously was the last part about the pacemaker. One out of every two =
(50%) American males who eat a meat-centered diet will die of a =
coronary-related disease. The risk to a US male who does not eat a =
meat-centered diet drops to 15%. A US male who does not consume meat, =
eggs, or dairy products (e.g. vegans) has a risk of about 4%. You can =
reduce your risk by about 45% if you reduce your consumption of meat, =
eggs, and dairy by 50%. You will also have improvements in overall =
health; in addition to lowering the ridiculous costs of healthcare. If =
you consider the real costs of a fast-food hamburger (actual product, =
government subsidies, resulting healthcare) the burger costs closer to =
$100 rather than the $2.49.
As related to the greenhouse effect mentioned in another post:
The primary cause of the greenhouse effect is: carbon dioxide emmissions =
from fossil fuels
Fossil fuels needed to produce a meat-centered diet v.s. a meat-free =
diet: 3 times
Other factors:
Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pound of =
rainforest beef: 55 sq.feet
Percentage of US topsoil lost to date: 75% (our topsoil is nutrient =
deprived, and so is the food from it)
Percentage of the US topsoil lost attributed directly to livestock =
farming: 85%
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical =
rainforests for livestock grazing
and other uses: 1000 per year
Land area to produce one kilogram of protein from feedlot beef: 195 =
sq.meters of fertile land
Land area to produce one kilogram of protein from corn: 22 sq.meters of =
fertile land
Land area to produce one kilogram of protein from soybean: 16 sq.meters =
of fertile land
Land area to produce one kilogram of protein from blue-green algae: 1 =
sq.meter of non-fertile land
Water needed to produce one kilogram of protein from feetlot beef: =
27,500 gallons fresh
Water needed to produce one kilogram of protein from corn: 3,280 gallons =
fresh
Water needed to produce one kilogram of protein from soybean: 2,340 =
gallons fresh
Water needed to produce one kilogram of protein from blue-green algae: =
660 gallons brackish
Percentage of US antibiotics fed to livestock: 55%
Can you import US beef into the European Community because of the =
antibiotic levels? no
Lets not even get into the pesticide issues. It's scary!!!
What we choose (many people in developed societies can make this choice) =
for a diet can affect our environment and in doing so can directly =
affect the quality of the dive sites we visit. Can you think of sites =
that are now closed due to pollution, or due to conditions such as low =
visability that were not always that way. Florida is being destroyed =
ecologically due to population expansion, and we are seeing the results =
right before our eyes. =20
And yes, I supplement my diet with blue-green algae for many reasons not =
mentioned.
Just my opinion,
Doug Chapman (a vegan)
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