How can vegetarians actually save animals?

Question

I'm a vegetarian, so this isn't meant to offend.

I was just wondering how it practically makes sense. Yes, they're not eating animals, but technically the animals are already dead, so we're just not eating dead animals. How thena re we saving animals' lives if they've already killed them?

Answer 1

It's quantity demand vs. quantity demanded. As less and less meat is sold, the profitability of raising animals for meat products goes down so fewer and fewer people raise animals for profit, thus saving the lives of animals.

Answer 2

i never got that either... its just like even though they dont eat the animals, the animals are already dead cuz other people are eating them. God put us on this Earth to provide food for eachother, and animals are just part of our food chain. whatevs idk :) but i guess vegetarians think that less animals will be killed if less people want them

Answer 3

They don't unless they are physically saving animals from death.

Supply and demand only works if the drop (or increase) in demand is enough to make a difference. Since vegetarians a re abut a small fraction of the population, the so called drop in demand is minuscule and negligible. So no animals are actually saved by being a vegetarian. But the supply is more stable and therefore prices are more stable and affordable. But the increase in demand for vegetables and fruits ensure that vegetable and fruits prices are either going up or supply becomes limited. Also, the companies that make mock meats and other vegetarian/vegan friendly products are making a "killing". Not only from vegetarians but also from omnis who try to eat "healthy".

You can ask any one who knows anything about catle farming and they will tell you, demand is in fact increasing not decreasing.

Answer 4

If the demand for dead meat goes down, production of dead meat goes down. If companies aren't making money with meat production, they wont produce it. They don't produce meat, animals aren't killed. For every one person that doesn't eat meat, thats a loss for the companies.

You also have to realize that these animals aren't being captured and slaughtered. They're born and raised in these slaughter houses and are not to be confused with wild animals.

Answer 5

They think that is COOL !

Answer 6

Vegetarians don't realise that the less meat people eat, the more vegetables people eat, therefore the more habitats are destroyed, rabbits and mice killed, to set up crops etc.

Answer 7

it is wierd.......If no one eats pork,, farmers will stop raising pigs...same with chicken, etc...so there will be a lot less of these creatures on the planet.............

Answer 8

I don't think it's wrong to kill animals for food (I have other reasons), so it might not be best for me to answer this question... I don't think the issue is "saving" animals. It's more about not supporting an industry or company that you disagree with. You might not be voting "against" them, per say, but you're certainly not voting for them. Sometimes, that's the best you can do. :-)

Also, when you think about how much meat the average American eats (you can actually quantify it in number of animals if you look at it cumulatively) over a lifetime, they're not all already dead. The supply and demand point has been made already, but it's a good one. Over time, it does make an impact, even if it is relatively small.

But the question you might need to ask yourself is this: is it better to make no overall impact on meat production, or to support it by buying and eating meat?

A non-vote is still a vote, sometimes. And by buying alternatives, you are voting for and supporting industries and companies that you agree with. Think of your economic choices in terms of what they support, not what they are against. That's how you'll make an impact.

Answer 9

Supply and demand does work, but you are right about meat eaters unfortunately out numbering vegetarians/vegans at this point in time.

As a vegetarian you are helping to decrease the demand, not only by refusing meat products your self, but also by influencing others.

In any social situation where you refuse to eat meat, you are a "stand in" for the dead animal on the plate of your friends and family. You, just by being there, remind people that there is something wrong with eating meat. Simply due to your presence (you don't have to get "preachy") others may decrease their meat intake or stop altogether.

The impact you have on meat demand by being a vegetarian is not confined to your individual choices, but is also a result of your influence on others.

Try to look at your vegetarianism as having a positive long-term effect on reshaping society, rather than the typical "how many animals a vegetarian saves per year".

Lastly, to me my veganism is about a commitment to live my life by my ethics. Even if the difference I make is small, at least I am being true to myself and my beliefs.

Answer 10

There is no doubt that millions of vegetarians make a difference.

If they sell less flesh, they are going to force less pregnancies and fertilize a smaller number of eggs. We are saving animals from being brought into a horrible existence. One vegetarian or even a thousand vegetarians make little to no impact but millions of vegetarians most definitely do and those that restrict their consumption of animal products make an impact as well.

Answer 11

It's an issue of supply and demand. If a product is being purchased and consumed less, the company produces less so as to not lose profits. Unfortunately, vegetarians are a minority in our population, so the meat industries are still getting what they want, and producing tons of meat to supply the hungry consumers. This can be discouraging. BUT here's a good analogy: when you vote in an election, your single vote on its own doesn't count for much... but you still vote, right? Single votes make up groups of votes, which then become very significant. Although one vegetarian doesn't make much of a difference in the grand scheme of the meat industry, groups of vegetarians (made from many single vegetarians) do make a difference.

Some changes have been made that would have never been considered if it weren't for veg's. Burger King has a veggie burger (you couldn't pay me to eat it, but still...)! Grocery stores carry more fake meats now than years ago... Some fast food chains have agreed to reform their requirements for farming practices due to pressure from vegetarian groups... and on and on.

So yes, absolutely, vegetarians save animals. The less meat that is purchased and consumed, the less meat that is produced.

EDIT: apparently while I was writing this a whole bunch of 'supply and demand' arguments were already posted. And I thought I was original :) I still think my answer is relevant to your extended question, though. Here's another analogy: American history... before the Civil War there was a small group of Abolitionists, who wanted to abolish slavery on moral grounds. They were a very small minority (others wanted to abolish slavery, but for political reasons, not moral ones... so lets just forget about them for now). But even though they were a small minority, their message did manage to reach others, and get carried on, sparking larger movements for civil rights. If every abolitionist looked around and said to him/herself "There's so few of us... how can we possibly make a difference?" and then gave up on the cause, then the moral precedent against slavery would have never been set. Don't discount the power of a minority.

EDIT- "exsft":

My point with the abolitionist analogy was to point out the power and importance of a message, not to say that the abolitionists were the reason for the actual end of slavery. Would America be the same if slavery had ended without anyone taking a stand against it on *moral* grounds? We need minorities in this world who are willing to stand alone and against what is wrong (in this case, what's wrong is the meat industry, not necessarily eating meat). If we didn't have people to do this, the world wouldn't be worth living in. And they do make a difference, whether they makes a huge financial impact on the industries or not - the message is being spread. Reform movements often start from the mumblings of minorities...

I also don't doubt that the demand for cattle is increasing in America and other McDonaldized nations. It would be interesting to see the correlation between the demand for livestock and the percentage of obese people in a population. America (and others...) is getting greedier, fatter, and more addicted to a diet of convenience which seems to always include some type of meat, or meat product. Of course demand is increasing! However, demand for vegetarian options is increasing as well, and the requirements for humane treatment of farm animals has been addressed more now than it ever has. A little bit of progress is better than nothing.

Julia S. put it well: "But the question you might need to ask yourself is this: is it better to make no overall impact on meat production, or to support it by buying and eating meat?"

Answer 12

Danielle is right :) when people become vegetarians, we buy more vegetables and they sell less meat, kill less animals... I heard that vegetarians save at least 100 animals a year :)

Answer 13

A vegetarian saves 93 lives a year.

If the demand for meat goes down due to a result of more vegetarians, the number of animals killed also decreases.

Answer 14

thats what i wanna kno. thanks for posting this

Answer 15

i love meat

Answer 16

Yes...less animals are killed....

It can save more than just animals.

Temperatures are rising around the world, ice caps are melting, and storms are becoming more severe. Even the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding island communities are at risk. Death tolls from the increasing heat are also rising, according to a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health's department of environmental health.

It's time for action. Sensational headlines may leave many people feeling overwhelmed about climate change. But global warming can be slowed - and many Americans are trying to do just that.

We're getting "greener": Recycling, energy-saving light bulbs and fuel-efficient hybrid cars are now a part of our culture and economy.

But most people are neglecting one of the most important steps toward stopping global warming: adopting a vegetarian diet.

Americans need to know that what we eat has a huge impact on the environment - and changing our diet can make a difference. Animal agriculture, a major source of water pollution and deforestation, has become one of the biggest culprits in global warming. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations released a report this year showing that farmed animals are a top contributor to today's serious environmental problems, including greenhouse gases.

The report found that livestock produced 35 percent to 40 percent of all methane emissions (which have 23 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide), 65 percent of nitrous oxide (which is 320 times as warming as carbon dioxide) and 64 percent of ammonia, which contributes to acid rain.

Nearly 30 percent of the Earth's land surface is used for grazing animals, and that number is expected to increase with the global livestock sector growing faster than any other agricultural subsector. That's because in almost every region of the world, consumption of animal products is on the rise.

This trend has another disturbing consequence. The global increase in meat consumption has caused rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other diet-related illnesses to soar.

If we're going to reverse the damage we've done to our health and the environment, we have to begin now.

Eliminating or reducing meat and other animal products is easier than most people think. I've seen this firsthand among my patients in Baltimore: They experience improvements in their weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels after making healthful dietary changes, and they stick with their new diet because they enjoy the food and feel better.

It's time to go beyond greening our cars, light bulbs and cleaning products. By piling more leafy green vegetables on our plates, we can literally green our diets - and reduce environmental damage to the planet.

Studies have shown that people who follow a plant-based diet are slimmer and have less risk of chronic, diet-related diseases than people on high-fat, meat-based diets. In fact, America could begin to reverse its diabetes and obesity epidemics by turning to a high-fiber, low-fat vegetarian diet consisting primarily of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and beans, lentils and peas.

Other side effects of a meatless diet include lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and increased energy.

Staying healthy and fighting global warming can go hand in hand.

By greening our diets, we just might be able to save ourselves - and the planet.

Answer 17

I'm not a veggie, but it's the supply and demand concept.  If fewer people consume meat, less animals will be slaughtered.

This is why some (not all or even most, but some) vegetarians/vegans are kind of cult-ish to the cause, doing whatever they can to recruit newbies.