What difference can being a vegetarian make?

Question

My grandad said that it doesn't make any difference because animals are going to be killed anyway. I think that is a really s**t reason to eat meat, what is the point in living in a democracy if we won't stand up for what we believe in? Could someone answer my first question, I really want to know what kind of a difference I am making by not eating meat.

What difference can being a vegetarian make?

Answer 1

The difference is the world would die quicker, as there would be more cows etc and then more gas. So world dead due to veggies.

Answer 2

I can't speak for anyone else - and I am not.  

I eat the way that I eat because it is a personal choice as well as a medical choice.

The difference that I make in the world - is one individual at a time.

Answer 3

animals we eat are bred for the sole purpose of eating. if there are less meat eaters, less animals will be bred, and meat farmers will lose business, the economy will decline.

being a vegetarian only benefits you, and even that is arguable.

Answer 4

if you go vegetarian you save 100 ANIMALS A YEAR!!  that is alot! and if alot of people started doing it it would make a change! you will make a lot of differences!! the animals will thank u!!

Answer 5

Wow he's silly.

His rationale is basically that because suffering exists, we should contribut eto it as individuals? Has he never heard of a little thing called ECONOMICS? Whereby the meat industry is out the money used to slaughter package and ship the meat, which you are NOT reimbursing them for??

WE MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

""Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Answer 6

One vegetarian doesn't make a whole lot of difference. It's like voting. One doesn't make a lot of difference but when you get to adding them all together it matters.

Answer 7

well your grandfatehr with all do respect isnt educated and must be thinking of the old ways when they thought poeple needed meat when thats not true at all i could make a really long reason as to why its better for your health in general let alone your concious being a vegetarian by following these links to vegetarian sites thats are helpful and will prove your grandfather wrong and educate you both

http://veggielinks.com/becomingavegetari...

http://veggielinks.com/Vegetarian.html

enjoy and may your eyes open up to the truth

Answer 8

You are choosing not to participate in an industry that is bad for the environment and extremely cruel to animals. Also, you are doing yourself a favor by eating a healthful diet free of animal product.

Answer 9

Not much on a macro level since there are not enough vegetarians to go around. On a personal level, the best thought with which you can assure yourself is that you don't contribute to the killing of animals. Maybe in the future, there would be enough vegetarians to be a political force that pols would listen to. But now, no. And as long as there are groups like PETA and ALF that promote your cause, very few people (in ALF's case other than police or the FBI)  will even treat you seriously.

By the way, democracy is not "standing up for what you believe in", it's really majority rules. "Democracy" means rule by the many. The minority (vegetarians) do not get to dictate to the majority (meat eaters) in a true democracy.

And your grandfather was just expressing what he believed in too.

Answer 10

^

what do you think cows eat? duh, plants

yeah cattle are very bad for the ecosystem (in those numbers)

they eat tons of vegetation and only produce a fraction of that weight in meat. plus they fill the atmosphere with methane.

and you wont feel like c**p all of the time from eating greasy meat

Answer 11

Aside from rain forests being cut down in South America for cows to graze on and methane gas destroying our ozone layer, there are health reasons to cut back on meat.  I had a heart attack in April of this year.  When the cardiologist did a heart catheterization he saw my arteries were clear.  He asked if I ate meat, and I told him very rarely.  He said that's what saved me.  

Answer 12

Keep away from the "saving animals" argument, there are too many decent comebacks to it.

Cows release huge amounts of methane. If less meat was consumed, less animals would be bred and it would greatly reduce the amount of methane being released into the atmosphere.

Rainforest's are being cut down to provide land to grow crops for cows to eat.Everyone knows that that isn't good.

I heard it takes ten pounds of grain to produce a pound of meat.Thats a h**l of a lot of grain.

Answer 13

Why does nobody care about the feelings of plants?  They are beautiful, clean our air & create oxygen to sustain life - why would you dedicate your life towards the decimation of plants?

Save a plant, eat a cow.