Over their lifetime and beyond, livestock are an energy intensive commodity. From feeding, through slaughter, to refrigeration, and in resultant human ailments such as heart disease, maintaining animals as a food source is an inefficient use of resources.
‘Yeah, yeah,’ you might reply, ‘but what does that really mean?’ At the D.C. VegFest on Saturday, Dawn Moncrieffe, founder of A Well-Fed World, took the stage and illustrated her point with a hot button topic: gas prices.
Currently, Americans consume more meat than any other country in the world. However, globalization has promoted a rise in meat consumption around the globe, those who want to live the American ideal. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, we should be blushing red….with alarm.
Not just the health crises that loom over the horizon, but the demand on gas should be a cause for concern. According to Moncrieffe, statistics warn of a doubling in meat production over the next 50 years. This doubling of production will result in even more energy being utilized in this industry alone.
“Can we handle the growth?” Probably not.
We’re a world reliant on gas. As the resources dwindle, yet the demand for gas increases, the prices will rise. As the prices go up, certain people will not be able to afford fuel for their cars, so they’ll turn to mass transportation. As the demand grows for train and bus service, these systems will become congested and prices will go up. Some will not be able to afford even mass transportation. Over time, those who can’t pay will be left in the cold.
If you’ve ever complained about the price of gas over a nice steak, close your mouth and chew on that. If you’re going to make the decision to eat meat, savor it…cause it is going to cost you more than what’s on the bill.
Squandering precious energy resources is creating a strain on our system. Our choices have far reaching consequences past our plates. While the organization encourages the ideal, a full vegan diet, every little bit helps.
Read more about A Well-Fed World.
A Life Vegan 