On Sat, 3 Jan 2004 12:51:40 -0500, "rick etter"
> wrote:
>Another ly. Too bad that's all you have, killer.
HOW TO WIN AN ARGUMENT WITH A MEAT EATER
The New York Times, Tuesday, June 20, 1989
The Hunger Argument
Number of people worldwide who will die of starvation this year: 60
million.
Number of people who could be adequately fed with the grain saved if
Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10 perc.: 60 million
Human beings in America: 243 million
Number of people who could be fed with grain and soybeans now eaten by
U.S. livestock: 1.3 billion
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by people: 20
Percentage of corn grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 80
Percentage of oats grown in the U.S. eaten by livestock: 95
Percentage of protein waste by cycling grain through livestock: 99
How frequently a child starves to death: every 2 seconds
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an ac 20.OOO
Pounds of beef produced on an ac 165
Percentage of U.S. farmland devoted to beef production: 56
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce a pound of beef: 16
The Environmental Argument
Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
Primary cause of greenhouse effect: carbon dioxide emissions from
fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels needed to produce a meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free
diet: 50 times more
Percentage of U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75
Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising:
85
Number of acres of U.S. forest cleared for cropland to produce
meat-centered diet: 260 million
Amount of meat U.S. imports annually from Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras and Panama: 200 million pounds
Average per capita meat consumption in Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras and Panama: less than eaten by average U.S.
housecat.
Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every 1/4 pound hamburger: 55
sq.ft.
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical
rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1.000 per year
The Cancer Argument
Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat 4 times a week
vs. less than once a week: 4 times
For women who eat eggs daily vs. less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or
more times a week vs. less than once a week: 3 times
Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who eat meat daily vs.
sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times
The Natural Resources Argument
Use of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the U.S.:
livestock portion.
Amount of water used in production of the average steer: sufficient to
float a destroyer.
Gallons to produce a pound of wheat: 25
Gallons to produce a pound of meat: 2.500
Cost of common hamburger if water used by meat industry was not
subsidized by the U.S. taxpayer: 35 dollars a pound
Current cost of pound of protein from beefsteak, if water was no
longer subsidized: 89 dollars
Years the world's known oil reserves would last if every human ate a
meat-centered diet: 13
Years they would last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260
Barrels of oil imported into U.S. daily: 6.8 million
Percentage of fossil fuel returned as food energy by most efficient
factory farming of meat: 34.5
Percentage returned from least efficient plant food: 32.8
Percentage of raw materials consumed by U.S. to produce present
meat-centered diet: 33
The Cholesterol Argument
Number of U.S. medical schools: 125
Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30
Nutrition training received by average U.S. physician during four
years in medical school: 25 hours
Most common cause of death in U.S.: heart attack
How frequently a heart attack kills in U.S.: every 45 seconds
Average U.S. man's risk of death from heart attack: 50 perc.
Risk for average U.S. man who avoids the meat-centered diet: 15 perc.
Meat industry claims you should not be concerned about your blood
cholesterol if it is: normal
Your risk of dying of a disease caused by clogged arteries if your
blood cholesterol is 'normal': over 50 perc.
The Antibiotic Argument
Percentage of U.S. antibiotics fed to livestock: 55
Percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in
1960: 13
Percentage resistant in 1988: 91
Response of European Economic Community to routine feeding of
antibiotics to livestock: ban
Response of U.S. meat and pharmaceutical industries to routine feeding
of antibiotics to livestock: full and complete support
The Pesticide Argument
Percentage of pesticide residues in the U.S. diet supplied by grains:
1
Percentage of pesticide residues in the U.S. diet supplied by fruits:
4
Percentage of pesticide residues in the U.S. diet suppl. by dairy
products: 23
Percentage of pesticide residues in the U.S. diet supplied by meat: 55
Pesticide contamination of breast milk from meat-eating mothers vs.
non meat-eating: 35 times higher
What USDA tells us: meat is inspected
Percentage of slaughtered animals inspected for residues of toxin
chemicals including dioxin and DDT: less than 0.00004
The Ethical Argument
Number of animals killed for meat per hour in U.S.: 500.000
Occupation with highest turnover rate in U.S.: slaughterhouse worker
Occupation with highest rate of on-the-job injury in U.S:
slaughterhouse worker
Cost to render animal unconscious with captive bolt pistol before
slaughter.: 1 cent
Reason given by meat industry for non using that pistol: too expensive
The Survival Argument
Athlete to win Ironman Triathlon more than twice: Dave Scott (6 time
winner) Food choices of Dave Scott: Vegetarian
Largest meat eater than ever lived: Tyrannosaurus Rex
Last sighting of Tyrannosaurus Rex: 100.000.000 B.C.
Famous pop stars - vegetarians:
-------------------------------
Candice Bergen, David Bowie, Paul Mc Cartney, Darryl Hannah, Janet
Jackson, k.d.lang, Sting
'I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.'
--William Shakespeare "Twelfth Night," Act I, Scene 3
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