Lapis Lazuli Light: Vegetarian diet & the health of the planet素食与地球的健康

Earth now has limited resources, especially fossil fuel, fertile soil and clean water. We also know that there are many people who do not have enough foods to eat. Is this due to lack of foods or poor distribution? The issue is not lack of foods but a waste of the planet’s resources. Using grains to feed cattle, sheep and hogs is very wasteful. On the average it takes seven pounds of grains to get one pound of meat. Beef is even more wasteful. One pound of beef requires 16 pounds of soy beans.

In order to increase crop yields, large quantities of chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used. This not only pollutes the soil, but also uses fossil fuel (Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are by-products of fossil fuel). At the same time, poisoned fertile soil cannot regenerate. Every year much topsoil is lost. As production decreases every year, more and more chemical fertilizers are used, causing a vicious cycle.

Water is another precious resource. Water for drinking and farming becomes scarcer every year. The production of meat uses a lot of water. One pound of beef takes 2500 gallons of water, and one pound of soy bean takes only 1/10 to 1/3 of that. Fifty percent of water consumption in the U.S is used for meat production. Our dietary habits on a small scale affect our health, while on the large scale, the health of our life support system, the EARTH. Therefore, we should give it serious thought and adopt vegetarian diet in our daily lives in order to resolve the above crises.

P/s: Read also "Who is responsible for climate warming, the number one killer?"

素食和地球健康又有什么关系?

现在地球的资源有限,尤其是石油,肥沃的土壤和清净的水.地球上有很多人仍吃不饱,这是粮食不够呢?还是支配不当?现在的问题不是粮食不足,而是地球资源的浪费.用五谷喂 牛,羊,猪是浪费,平均七磅的谷类和豆类才能生产一磅的肉.牛肉更是浪费,一磅牛肉需要十六磅的五谷黄豆.美国出产的农作物百分之五十都是用来喂牲口的.

畜牧业污染土壤,水源,消耗石油

为了大量生产农作物,就必须大量使用化学肥料和农药,污染了土壤不说,还消耗石油(化学肥料和农药大都是石油副产品).同时土壤被破坏后,不能自然复原. 每年损失很多肥沃的土壤,生产力年年下降,因此必须使用更多的化学肥料,变成恶性循环.

水是另一可贵资源,食用水与灌溉水年年有减无增.生产肉是非常消耗水的,一磅牛肉需要二千五百加仑水,而一磅黄豆只需其十分之一到三分之一.美国用水量百分之之五十是用于生产肉类.

为了个人和地球健康,必须重新考虑我们的饮食习惯,小则关系到个人健康,大则影响到地球的健康,所以素食是最佳的选择.