1. Vegetarianism
Dr. Warren

2. Vegetarianism What is a vegetarian?
There are two major types. Lacto/Ovo vegetarians who will eat milk or egg products and vegans who do not eat any meat products.
The argument that vegetarians do not get enough protein is invalid because legumes (or beans) have more protein than meat (Preyss).

3. Vegetarianism and the Environment
Livestock, not transportation or power consumption, is the number one contributor to global warming (Wolfson)
56% of non-CO2 gases come from beef, 29% from dairy, and 15% from pork (Wolfson)
Farm animals produce 500,000,000 tons of manure annually (that’s a LOT of poop!)

4. Vegetarianism and the Environment
Eating only 8% fewer animal products would be the equivalent of trading in your car for a hybrid (Wolfson)

5. Vegetarianism and the Environment
Only 2.6% of the world is fresh water, the water needed to keep cattle healthy is increasing so much that it can cause water shortages around the world (LEAD).
Beef and chicken raised specifically for slaughter are often filled with hormones and drugs (LEAD).

6. Vegetarianism and the Environment
Overall, each pound of beef uses 2,500 gallons of water, erodes 35 pounds of topsoil, consumes 16 pounds of grain/soy feed, and uses a gallon of gasoline to produce (Bogo).
There are better ways to use our environmental resources.

7. What to eat instead of meat!
Vegetarian products are showing up on almost every supermarket shelf.
Companies that sell vegetarian/vegan products include:
Amy’s Kitchen
Annie’s Homegrown
Boca Burger, Inc.
Gardenburger
Quorn
LightLife

8. What products are available…
Veggie crumbles (fake hamburger)
Garden burgers
Chik’n patties
Fake bacon
Soy hotdogs
Phoney bologna
Almost anything that is available as a meat product has some vegetarian or vegan alternative.

9. Meatless Monday
In 2009, Meatless Monday became a movement to encourage families to eat no meat on Mondays (Pound).
Meatless Mondays can help families reduce their “risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity” (Pound).

10. Vegetarians and Health
Studies link veal, beef, lamb, and pork to cancer, diabetes, and heart disease and ultimately death (Harvard).
Red meat is high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and heme iron (linked to increased heart disease) (Harvard).
Additionally, processed meats like hot dogs and sandwich meat are even worse because they increase sodium levels which is linked to strain on the heart and kidneys (Harvard).

11. Vegetarians and Health
A healthy diet can be found in just eating fruits and vegetables (Preyss).
Even fast food places are beginning to offer vegetarian options. For example, Burger King now offers a veggie burger option. Chili’s also offers a veggie burger option, and McDonald’s no longer fries their food in animal fat.

12. Vegetarian Growth
The sale of vegan/vegetarian items is up 48% since 1999 (Bogo). The rise should increase.

13. Join in on Meatless Mondays
To test drive vegetarianism, try Meatless Mondays.
Replace soy crumbles in tacos, spaghetti, or lasagna.
Try beef-less tips in stir fry.
Give up meat for two meals a week. 

14. Works Cited
Bogo, Jennifer. "Where's the Beef?." E Magazine. Nov./Dec. 1999: SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 13 Nov 2012.
Cullen, Andrew. "Vegetarianism Takes (Tender) Root in Meat-Loving Mongolia." Christian Science Monitor. 03 Feb 2010: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 13 Nov 2012.
Pound, Kara. "The Rise of Meatless Monday." E Magazine. Sep/Oct 2010: SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 13 Nov 2012.
Preyss, Jennifer. "Con: Meat Is Necessary in Diet." Victoria Advocate. 12 Mar 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 13 Nov 2012.
"What's the Beef with Meat?.“ Harvard Women's Health Watch. 10 Aug
2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 13 Nov 2012.
Wolfson, Marisa Miller. "An Inconvenient Food: The Connection Between Meat and Global Warming." USA Today (Farmingdale) Vol. 136, No Sep 2007: SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 13 Nov 2012.