Why do people eat meat and say they love animals and the environment?

Question

I often see people eating a hamburger in their SUV which is adorned with Sierra Club and SPCA bumper stickers. We no longer need meat as a source of protein and most people are fully aware that animal abuse in factory farms is very common. Foods like hamburgers and hot dogs promote diabetes and obesity and are terrible for our health in general. I equate putting pepperoni on a pizza to killing an animal for fun and for taste. We also know that it takes 15lbs of grain to make 1lb of beef so we cannot use the excuse that plants also have feelings as a vegetarian diet is even less harmful for plants in general. We now know that raising cattle is terrible for the environment and is on par with automobiles as a source of pollution. So why do people eat meat and say they care about animals and the environment?
http://www.newstarget.com/021296.html
http://www.all-creatures.org/
http://www.kfccruelty.com/
http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/

Answer 1

Great point; the answer is that people either don't know or don't care. Thank you for making a post about this; hopefully some people will take notice!

Answer 2

I most definitely understand where you are coming from. I have been a vegetarian for two years in February and it's because I cannot stand the idea of murdering an animal for it's meat. I mean if you have to it's alright I guess as long as you give thanks to the animal who died to keep you alive and don't waste any of the parts. Like for instance I understand why Native Americans killed buffalo to survive, but what I do not understand is hunters (white men and women) going out and killing a deer just so the can put the head up on their wall, that pisses me off. Again Native Americans have so much more respect for our Earth. I feel that some of the people that have replied to this question are stupid. You were right to pose this question it was a good one. Don't let those morons who keep saying this question was pointless and vegetarians are dumb get you down. Besides, when they get mad cow disease or avian flu and die, we can point and laugh because we didn't eat meat and they did. I know I'll feel better! Won't you!?!?! LOL

Answer 3

Vegetable protein is not the same as animal protein. It does not adequately substitute. That said, there is far too much meat protein being consumed as well. Killing for fun and killing for food are actually related. The trhill of the hunt is a natural drive that fuels our need to eat. The sex drive fuels our need to reproduce in much the same way. It is actually possible to care about the earth and the environment while eating a hamburger and there are far more humane groups then the S.P.C.A.
hot dogs and hamburgers do not promote diabetes or obesity. These are conditions that are the result of overeating and it is possible to overeat on a stitcktly vegan diet.

Answer 4

OK, firstly, great points about the environment & bad diets!

I wouldn't call fast food meat, tho'. Yes, I don't get it that people become vegetarians because they think some photographs of baby animals are cute, and then they go & buy the unrecognisable minced-up animal parts with the least nutrients, frozen & microwaved & covered in spicy batter. But who buys those daily?

If you do eat meat, go choose the best cuts of traceable meat, poultry, or fish at the butcher's shop & quit being a hypocrite, that's my view! Raise your own meat, buy organic & free-range animal cuts. People aren't prepared to pay organic farmers for quality food, or to give thought to cooking or preparation, and the result is as you say, mass cattle & chicken farming.

Secondly, our bodies really do need red meat once a week, not only for protein but for many other trace elements.

I enjoy red meat, and fish, and I also enjoy vegetables and beans - this makes me an omnivore. I don't suffer from diabetes or obesity. I know two vegetarians who have developed clinical depression, anaemia and diabetes since becoming vegans.
I also know doctors, researchers and health care-professionals who work late for low pay to find cures for their undernourished fellow humans. (Without experimenting on animals, OK, and without throwing bricks at fast-food outlets or bullying workers?)

I also don't agree with the extreme (often terrorist) actions of some animal rights activists. I don't like watching birds and cats eat live creatures either, but one group lives in a social group, cares for their young, and knows better, and the other lot don't care about what's socially acceptable behaviour. What of hunters who shoot animals regularly for fun, and don't even need the food, only the antlers? I don't see brave activists challenging them? No, they pick on KFC etc, and call gun-clubbers patriotic, while small farmers are pushed out of their livelihoods in today's market. They love animals but what of worms? Spare the worms and cut back on the imported beef consumption.

I do think the Sierra Club etc does a lot for the animals and plants which are endangered, especially if they don't look cute enough to be spared on the grounds of "love" or their looks.

Bottom line for me is that people who farm organically or allow free-range chickens, guinea-fowl, quails, whatever, would never ever offer their neighbours or family members any fast food products. Neither are they going to settle for the hypocrisy of saying "We like meat, our bodies need it, and we will cheat ourselves by eating ground-up imported fried crap." Well, that's my two cents : )

Answer 5

I agree animal abuse still exisists. But lets be realistic. We are carnivores and there is nothing wrong with it. A lot of the animals you are talking about also are. Meaning that we eat meat. That is nature.
Yes as humans we should be more responsible and ethical. So it is a little hyocrytical yes but in the grand scheme of nature this is the food cycle.
Yes like the native americans there are things that can be done with the carcasses that are beneficial.
For example I worked at a slaughterhouse a long time ago. All of the carcasses were destroyed. Meanwhile several companies wanted to purchase these carcasees at no extra cost to my employer, and use them to make jackets, boots and other things. I have no clue why they did not do it. But that is irresponsible in my eyes.

Answer 6

Just tell us what are you going to do with an over population of the animals that we eat,,,,cows, deer, chicken, turkeys, pigs..etc. ,etc....we don't have enough predators for those animals...and just because you don't like meat it does not mean that the rest of us have to agree with you.
Do you drink or smoke? drive a car or ride a taxi or bus? don't you think that that harm the environment too?

Answer 7

Please prioritize and pick your battles. Meat, regardless of your aversion to it, does supply some nutritive value. How many pounds of grain does it take to produce a bottle of vodka or whiskey or a beer? They provide NO nutrition whatsoever. Start with the alcoholic beverage industries. If you convince everybody (yourself included) to stop drinking beer and whiskey, then come back and we can talk about animals.

Answer 8

Why do vegitarians care more about animals than people? Hitler was a vegitarian, was opposed to hunting. Humans on the other hand came up short in his book.
Humans are ominvores we are both meat and vegitable consumers since the dawn of time.
Animals eat meat, fish eat meat, insects eat meat and even some floura eat meat. So why is it morally wrong for humans to eat meat?

Vegitarian diets have their health problems to like blindness.

Answer 9

That is because hybrid vehicles and vegetarianism breeds smugness.
Without meat, without animal furs to keep us warm and sinew to sew clothes we would not have been able to form into a civilization that allows folks the luxury to entertain lofty ideas like veganism, environmentalism etc.
If you were forced to hunt and grow your food you would be thankful for it and not condemning toward others that do not share your views.
How many cave men do you think had the luxury to think they wouldonly eat organic range fed alfalfa?
They would have died and we would not be here today.

Answer 10

like usual...the rant without the solution.
where do you suppose you are going to get many of the nutrients that are only available in meat??
OOOOHHH you think some chemist if going to make them, by extracting them from...what??

do you people even have a lcue how many of the protein supplements for gardening and human health are made?
I guess you think cod just donate liver oil to the vitamin supplement industry huh??

don't get me wrong, i am huge on not abusing animals, and protecting endangered species. heck most of my friends think i am a environmentalist fanatic, until i tell them about you PETA lunatics!