Thanksgiving arrives every year with a heated debate over how to best cook that plump and juicy turkey. But the idea of a tofu turkey (also known as a “tofurkey”) has gone from a joke a couple years ago to a reality for many. While vegetarianism has been practiced for over a thousand years in some countries, it is a relatively new concept in the West. And so, with the question cropping up more and more often, should we eat meat?
Unless you grow your veggies in your own backyard, chances are some animals have died to produce the food you eat. As one Oregon State University (OSU) researcher has pointed out, millions of moles, gophers, pheasants, mice, and other small animals die in the clearing of land and in the production of crops.
That's right. Your tofu and carrots come with their own set of animal kingdom trade-offs.
And if all this talk about going vegetarian has a "moral" component, then why should the species of the dead animal matter? On other words: If a cow is "equal" to my daughter, isn't it also equal to a prairie dog?
As with most other aspects of human life (building homes and infrastructure, for example) agriculture will inevitably kill some animals. According to the OSU study, even a completely vegan U.S. diet would result in the deaths of 1.2 billion animals every year. That's more animals than would die if we were eating a meat-based diet skewed heavily toward ruminant animals (cows, calves, sheep, and lambs).
Next Argument
18
14
16
15
14
12
6
7
10
5
5
1
7
7
Biweekly updates on new debates and experts
Please check your email to confirm your subscription.
© 2008 Opposing Views, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Opposing Views, Inc. is not responsible for the content posted on this website. Please view full disclaimer under Terms
Expert Verified
Link