Should people go vegetarian to save the environment?

By Simphiwe Ndlovu

I believe that if all people go vegetarian it will save the environment because when we look at 100 years ago our elders used to eat more plants than meat.

People who were vegetarian looked more healthier than people who ate meat. This shows that being vegetarian has more benefits and prevents of diseases.

“The greatest of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated,” said Mahatma Gandhi. For me that meant that nonviolence starts in your mind because if you are used to killing something, it means that you are a murderer.

For instance, China is known for eating animals, and when you look at their country it is not in peace. Instead of killing a life we can make a difference by planting vegetables in our yards and own farms like back in the days. Now it would be different because we will have more oxygen, healthier vegetables and we would save money.

Animal agriculture plays a role in environmental issues like instance climate change, soil degradation, water and air pollution. If more people go vegetarian it would reduce animal cruelty and we must not forget that animals have rights too.

We would save water because boiling vegetables takes less than 20 minutes whereas a chicken breast would take more than that. There would be more land because a lot of land is used to raise cattle, meaning that there would be more business opportunities and human settlements. This action would create more money in the economy. Even the cattle that we raise feed off the plants showing that plants are a necessity for life.

Eating meat can cause various health problems like heart disease, kidney problems, digestive issues and mortality. These health issues result in spending more money at the clinic or a doctor whereas when you eat vegetarian food you are basically preventing yourself from a lot of diseases.

Some people would get confused thinking that eating meat can produce stronger bones, retention of muscles and better iron absorption whereas a vegetarian diet is said to be lower in fat and higher in fibre than animal-based food.