To what extent does an omnivorous diet that

includes meat create more pollution than a vegan diet?

Candidate Personal Code: fpx438

Word Count: 3,552

Extended Essay
 fpx438 1

Abstract

I chose to investigate the topic of the differing effects of a vegan diet and an omnivorous

diet on pollution in the environment because of my own vegetarian diet. While the biological and

ethical benefits are more obvious, an environmental approach seemed less clear and more

interesting.

I conducted my research using mostly secondary sources from both libraries and from the

reputable internet sources. Many of the books that I used were part of guides on how to live a

vegetarian or vegan lifestyle and included only small sections on the effect of the diet on the

environment. In addition, I used sources from government agencies websites such as the United

States Government Environmental Protection Agency and the United Nations Environment

Programme. Finally, I also found information from scientific journals and university

publications.

Upon conducting substantial research on the effects of a vegan diet on pollution in the

environment, I have drawn several conclusions. I discovered that both a vegan diet and an

omnivorous diet have negative effects on the environment. However, the effects are to different

extents. One of the only negative effects of a vegan diet is that it creates water pollution through

the contamination of streams and rivers by fertilizers. However, I found that a diet that included

meat had more negative effects on the environment. Raising livestock emits a large amount of

greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, polluting the air. In addition, the waste from animals can

often contaminate nearby water sources. Soil erosion as a result of deforestation of lands for

cattle farming also leads to land pollution. Overall, I concluded that an omnivorous diet creates

much more pollution than that of a vegan diet.

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Word Count: 280

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Table of Contents

Abstract 1

Introduction 4

Method of Investigation 5

Investigation 5
Overview of Pollution 5
Uneven Energy Input 6
Emission of Methane from Ruminants 8
Cattle Pastures and Deforestation 9
Animal Waste and Dead Zones 11
Soil Erosion 13
Aquaculture 14
Animal Health and Welfare 15
Reducing Emissions of Greenhouse Gases 16

Conclusion 17
 fpx438 4

Introduction

As society continues to evolve, it seems that more issues relating to the environment due

to human activity, such as pollution, seem to arise. Society has placed a large emphasis on

convenience, even when it ultimately causes a large amount of harm to the environment. A major

aspect of everyday human activity that contributes to this problem is their food. People do not

realize the extent of the impact that their choices of the food make. However, if informed of this,

people may be more willing to make small improvements to their diets that would help to lessen

the environmental harm.

My interest in this form of environmental sustainability is rooted in my own diet. I am a

lifelong vegetarian which simply originates from my distaste for meat. Even though I personally

dislike the taste of meat, many other people choose to practice veganism or vegetarianism for a

multitude of reasons. Most of the time, vegans make their decision based on the ethical

implications of animal treatment, or they may even choose this diet based on the possible health

benefits of a plant based diet. However, others claim that a meatless diet also reduces the impact

of food cultivation on the environment. The effect that ones food choices has on the

environment not only affects that individual, but humanity and the earth as a whole. By 2020,

according to some studies, the production of meat is predicted to double as people in developing

countries earn more money and the population continues to increase1. As meat production

continues to grow, the question of the possible impact seems imminent. This ultimately led me to

the overarching question: Does the elimination of meat and animal products in a diet

1
Fisher, Chris. "Consequences of Increased Global Meat Consumption on the Global
Environment." Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Stanford Woods Institute for the
Environment, 25 July 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
 fpx438 5

significantly reduce the amount of pollution emitted and the negative effect on the environment?

After thorough research, I have concluded that a vegan diet does positively impact the

environment.

Method of Investigation

The investigation of the research question was explored through the analysis of different

secondary sources. The sources came from published books, government websites, websites of

educational institutions, reputable news websites, and scholarly journals. Therefore, the sources

are presumably relatively reliable. However the sources that promote a plant based diet may be

slightly biased or ignore facts that support opposing views in an effort to show the greatest

amount of benefits of a vegan diet.

Investigation

Overview of Pollution

Pollution, which is defined as chemical, physical, and biological entities in the wrong

place or the wrong amounts2, can have devastating effects on not only nature, but also human

health and activities. For example, smog in the air that is produced by automobiles can cause

damage to immune, neurological, reproductive, and respiratory systems. Different types of

pollution may involve air pollution, land pollution, or water pollution, all of which are

by-products of intensive agriculture. Moreover, due to its detrimental impact, pollution has

2
abat, Joan, and Rosemary Ratzin-Turner. Vegetarian Nutrition. Boca Raton: CRC, 2001.
S
Print.
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become a growing problem as society has industrialized ever since the First Industrial

Revolution starting in the late eighteenth century, creating an emphasis on efficiency over

sustainability. However, in recent years, social movements advocating environmentally friendly

agricultural practices have become popular, and also some technological solutions have been

developed to try to solve these environmental problems. Without the realization of the trend of

harm on the environment and combined efforts to stop the impact of human activity, the quality

of the environment will continue to decline.

Uneven Energy Input

The most basic environmental argument in favor of a vegan diet stems from the unequal

energy input between animal proteins and plant proteins. Because of this, animal protein creates

more pollution as much of the energy that is expended is in the form of burned fossil fuels to

transport water and other necessities. The burned fossil fuels create pollution in the air through

the creation of large amounts of carbon dioxide. The pollution in the air has many negative

effects on the environment and on human health as well.

In the United States alone, more than 9 billion livestock are maintained each year in order

to meet the demand to supply animal protein to consumers, and the livestock population weighs

more than five times the mass of humans in the United States3. The amount of livestock

continues to increase as well due to the consistent trend of population growth of humans. With

the extensive number of livestock that is maintained and grown for human consumption, a

3
Pimentel, Marcia, and David Pimentel. "Sustainability of Meat-based and Plant-based Diets
and the Environment." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The American Society for
Clinical Nutrition, 01 Sept. 2003. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.
 fpx438 7

massive amount of energy in the form of food is needed to produce meat. Biologically speaking,

only 10% of the energy that livestock consume from grains and plants is transferred to the

livestock. As a result, if humans consume meat, then more energy is needed to produce the meat

because the livestock need energy from plants or grain than if humans consume plants or grain

directly. According to studies conducted by the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, the

amount of grain that is fed to livestock in the United States is enough to feed over 840 million

people who follow a plant-based diet4. Because of the large amount of grain consumed by

livestock, a large amount of energy is wasted on the extra step in the food chain. The average

fossil energy input for all animal protein production systems, including those of chicken, turkey,

dairy cattle, beef cattle, lamb, pork, and eggs, is 25 kcal per every 1 kcal of animal protein

produced, whereas it takes only 2.2 kcal of energy input for every 1 kcal of plant protein

produced5. In addition to the input of energy required from grain, there is also an unequal amount

of water needed for animal protein and plant protein. The difference is important because water

must be transported to either the livestock or the fields of plants, which can take large amounts of

energy because of waters heavy weight and create pollution. According to PETA, a prominent

animal rights organization, it takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of

beef, while it takes 244 gallons of water to produce one pound of plant protein, such as tofu6.

While this may seem drastic, one must keep in mind that one pound of 85% lean beef has 1,137

4
Pimentel, Marcia, and David Pimentel. "Sustainability of Meat-based and Plant-based Diets
and the Environment." 01 Sept. 2003.
5
Pimentel, Marcia, and David Pimentel. "Sustainability of Meat-based and Plant-based Diets
and the Environment." 01 Sept. 2003.
6
People For Ethical Treatment of Animals. "Meat and the Environment." PETA. N.p., 2016.
Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
 fpx438 8

calories, but one pound of tofu only has 344 calories7. Taking this information into account, one

can then calculate that it takes 2.11 gallons of water to produce 1 calorie of beef and about 0.71

gallons of water to produce 1 calorie of tofu. While the difference in water input is clearly

unequal, it is not as extreme as some statistics may make it appear. However, there is still a

distinct difference between the amount of energy needed to produce plant and animal proteins,

again showing the benefits of a vegan diet.

Emission of Methane from Ruminants

When digesting food, livestock, especially cattle and other ruminants produce CH4 or

methane in a process called enteric fermentation8. Enteric fermentation is fermentation that

takes place in the digestive systems of animals9. Ruminant animals include cattle, buffalo,

sheep, goats, and camels and have large rumens, which are the large first compartments of the

ruminants stomachs. Inside the rumens, food is broken down through microbial fermentation.

This allows the food to be converted into usable products for the organisms. As a result of enteric

fermentation, the ruminants produce a large amount of methane, which can either be released

through exhaling or belching by the organism10. Methane emissions from cattle alone account for

7
USDA. "Food Composition Database." United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural
Research Service, 2008. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
8
EPA. "Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 14
Feb. 2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
9
EPA. "Enteric FermentationGreenhouse Gases." (n.d.): n. pag. EPA. Environmental
Protection Agency, 2004. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
10
EPA. "Enteric FermentationGreenhouse Gases." (n.d.): n. pag. EPA. Environmental
Protection Agency, 2004. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
 fpx438 9

about a third of all methane produced in agriculture11, demonstrating the negative effect of cattle

farming.

Cattle Pastures and Deforestation

Deforestation has many negative consequences on the environment and causes air, land

and water pollution. Particularly in Central and South America, cattle ranchers destroy trees in

forests in order to clear land to produce livestock12. In the past forty years alone, almost 20

percent of the Amazon Rainforest, the largest rainforest in the world, has been cut down13.

Usually, the process of deforestation begins with a road being cleared so loggers and miners can

exploit forests resources. The process of deforestation causes an increase in carbon dioxide

emissions. In order to clear the forest, either large bulldozers or forest fires are used. When using

the bulldozers, large amounts of fuel are used, which causes the additional emission of carbon

dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. When forest fires are used to clear forests,

carbon dioxide is also released into the air14. Very fine soot, which is known as black carbon also

also acts as a pollutant in the air. In addition, because trees are extremely important in

maintaining clean air, deforestation largely leads to an increase in pollution in the air. Since trees

convert the carbon dioxide in the air into oxygen during photosynthesis, the loss of trees

increases the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The grass that replaces the trees

11
EPA. "Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report." (n.d.): n. pag. EPA. Environmental Protection
Agency, 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
12
Rosales, Mauricio. "Cattle Ranching and Deforestation." Livestock Policy Brief (2003): n. pag.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Sector Analysis and Policy Branch
Animal Production and Health Division, 2003. Web. 12 Jan. 2017.
13
Wallace, Scott. "Amazon Rain Forest, Deforestation, Forest Conservation." National
Geographic. National Geographic, 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
14
Dybas, Cheryl, and David Hosansky. "U.S. Fires Release Enormous Amounts of Carbon
Dioxide." The National Science Foundation. N.p., 31 Oct. 2007. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.
 fpx438 10

absorb much less carbon dioxide than if the trees had remained there. Sometimes, farmers try to

grow crops on the recently cleared land, but the soil is usually too nutrient depleted to support

the growth of plants15. Other times, farmers are able to successfully grow soybeans, which do not

require rich soil; however, these are most often used to feed cattle on nearby land. Subsequently,

ranchers can then use the land with the nutrient-depleted soil to raise cattle, which also

contributes to additional carbon dioxide polluting the air. This increased amount of carbon

dioxide can have many serious consequences. Most obviously, an increase in carbon dioxide,

which is a greenhouse gas that traps heat, leads to climate change16. Furthermore, when an excess

of carbon dioxide is present in earths atmosphere, the oceans will also absorb carbon dioxide,

leading to acidification of the ocean17. Ocean acidification is when oceans take up carbon

dioxide, which leads to a reduction in the pH of the seawater, a lower carbonate ion

concentration, and a lessening of the saturation states calcium carbonate mineral which are

biologically imperative18. These chemical reactions in the ocean can harm organisms, such as

oysters, clams, sea urchins, shallow water corals, deep sea corals, and calcareous plankton, that

need the calcium carbonate minerals to help keep their skeletons and shells strong19. If a large

number of these organisms die, then this could cause a major disruption in the food chain,

ultimately leading to an imbalance the ecosystem and the environment. In addition to carbon

15
UNEP. "Combating Deforestation." UN Environment. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2017.
16
NASA. "Carbon Dioxide Concentration." Global Climate Change. NASA, 23 Sept. 2016. Web.
28 Feb. 2017.
Null, Gary. "Part II: Healing the Planet." The Healthy Vegetarian: Healing Yourself, Healing
17

Our Planet. Palm Beach, FL: Essential, 2015. 403-542. Print.

18
NOAA. "What Is Ocean Acidification?" PMEL Carbon Program. N.p., 2008. Web. 28 Feb.
2017.
19
The Ocean Portal Team. "Ocean Acidification." Ocean Portal. Smithsonian National Museum
of Natural History, 2006. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.
 fpx438 11

dioxide emissions, deforestation for cattle pastures also leads to water pollution. Because of

trees roots ability to hold soil in place, they act as water filters when it rains. Without the trees,

the soil is often swept away by the rain and thus pollutes the streams and the rivers. Similarly,

the pollution of the rivers and streams can have serious consequences on their ecosystems and

the organisms that live in them. Overall, deforestation for purpose of clearing land for livestock

that is prevalent in large rainforests such as in the Amazon leads to multiple types of pollution.

Animal Waste and Dead Zones

With over 19,000 concentrated feeding animal feeding operations, which are agricultural

operations in which the livestock are kept and raised in closely confined areas, in the United

States alone20, the problem of managing manure and other bodily fluids from the livestock

creates a serious problem. The main risk that manure poses is the possibility of polluting water

resources. Manure contains large amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen, which can ultimately lead

to the creation of dead zones in bodies of water. In addition, manure can also contain pathogens,

hormones, or antibiotics, all of which can be harmful if exposed to organisms.

Dead zones are places where there is a lack of oxygen in large bodies of water, such as

oceans and lakes21. These dead zones are caused by the pollution of water by an unneeded and

harmful surplus of nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus. Because there is not enough

oxygen, the plants and animals in that area suffocate and die. Fish that are more migrant also

tend to leave that area due to the lack of oxygen. The pollution of excessive nutrients is often

20
EPA. "Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs)." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 17 Jan.
2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
21
Null, Gary. "Part II: Healing the Planet." The Healthy Vegetarian: Healing Yourself, Healing
Our Planet. Palm Beach, FL: Essential, 2015. 403-542. Print.
 fpx438 12

linked to human activity. A prominent cause of the water pollution is agriculture. In addition to

pollution in water that is caused by animal waste, fertilizers that are used to aid plant growth also

lead to pollution in water.

The excessive amount of nutrients that is present in water pollution, also known as

eutrophication, can cause algal bloom, a spurt of fast growth in algae, phytoplankton, or

seaweed. This bloom obstructs both sunlight and oxygen from being able to permeate the surface

of the water, leaving animals and plants in the water without either needed source. When the

algae on the surface of the water dies, the decomposition of it also consumes oxygen. This again

reduces the available supply of oxygen for the plants and animals in the water. The algal bloom

can make deadly products. For example, in 1998, during a study conducted in Monterey Bay, the

death of about 400 sea lions was determined to be a result of the algal bloom22. In addition,

humans and other animals can also become sick due to the shellfish that may contain toxins from

the algal bloom. Organisms that drink the polluted water may also become sick.

In countries, such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom, which are

developed, the main source of eutrophication is industrial farming, which includes the excessive

use of animal manure or commercial fertilizers. Worldwide, dead zones are becoming a larger

problem because they are increasing in both surface area and number. In 2008, there were 405

dead zones, with the second largest dead zone in the United States, with a major cause being

agricultural fertilizer that was transported by the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico23.

Since 2008, the expansion of the dead zones has continued. Studies have found that about 66%

22
EA Scholin, et al. Mortality of Sea Lions along the central California coast linked to a toxic
diatom bloom, Nature, 403 (2000). 80-84. Print.
23
RJ Diaz and R. Rosenberg. Spreading Dead Zones and Consequences for Marine
Ecosystems Science, 321 (2008). 926-929. Print.
 fpx438 13

of the nitrogen that pollutes the Gulf of Mexico is due to the production of corn, soybeans, and

other crops, with almost half of the crops being intended for feed for livestock24. Overall, the

pollution of the water by excess nutrients can be seen as a result of both livestock and crop

production.

However, the production of manure through animal waste can also have some benefits.

For example, grazing animals that deposit waste as they meander through land help to maintain

soil fertility. In addition, manure can also act as a substitute for synthetic fertilizers. Because

between 43 million and 88 million joules of fossil fuels are needed to create a single kilogram of

synthetic fertilizer25, the replacement of synthetic fertilizer with manure, which is produced

naturally, can greatly help reduce the amount of energy needed to grow crops for both livestock

consumption and for human consumption. Farmers can also use a system called Precision Feed

Management in which livestock are fed a precise amount of nutrients, resulting in more efficient

feed use and less manure and uneaten food, reducing the amount of waste26. However, taking the

benefits of manure into consideration, animal waste is still a potential danger if not closely

monitored.

24
J. Barfroff. How the food we feed farm animals is destroying the environment. One Green
Planet. September 18, 2014. Print.
25
Shapouri, Hosein, James A. Duffield, and Michael Wang. "The Energy Balance of Corn
Ethanol: An Update." United States Department of Agriculture (2002): n. pag. Web. 27 Feb.
2017.
26
Cerosaletti, Paul, and Dale Dewing. "What Is Precision Feed Management?" The
Manager(2008): n. pag. Cornell University. Cornell University, 15 Dec. 2008. Web. 27 Feb.
2017.
 fpx438 14

Soil Erosion

Land pollution is the breakdown or deterioration of surfaces on earth, including soil27.

Land pollution is largely a result of soil erosion. In healthy soil, there is both organic matter and

a community of organisms that can include microorganisms, bacteria, fungi, insects, or worms.

The makeup of healthy soil helps plants to store water and to grow. As a result, the health of soil

determines the productivity of land for agricultural use. Soil erosion that is caused by the rain or

wind and leads to the degradation of soil and poor soil productivity is called desertification.

Other human activities that also contribute to soil erosion include compaction, overgrazing, the

use of pesticides, and deforestation28 as mentioned previously. Desertification affects about 70%

of land that is used for agriculture29. The desertification of agricultural land can be a result of

irresponsible practices that are mainly prevalent when producing crops as feed for animals.

These can include choosing to not rotate crops or choosing plants that are notorious for depleting

the soil of nutrients. In the United States alone, soil erosion occurs at a rate of ten times quicker

than the soil can be replaced naturally30. As a result, the efficiency of the resources needed to

cultivate crops decreases, and more resources are wasted. Therefore, soil degradation that occurs

from inconsiderate agricultural practices can contribute to land pollution.

27
ESchooltoday. "What Is Land Pollution?" Your Cool Facts and Tips on Land Pollution.
ESchoolToday, 2008. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.
28
Null, Gary. "Part II: Healing the Planet." The Healthy Vegetarian: Healing Yourself, Healing
Our Planet. Palm Beach, FL: Essential, 2015. 403-542. Print.
29
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. United Nations Programme. 15 Apr.
2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.
30
Pimental, David. Soil Erosion: A Food and Environmental Threat. Journal of the
Environment, 8: 119-137. 2006. Print.
 fpx438 15

Aquaculture

In addition to traditional meat, vegans also abstain from consuming fish. Aquaculture or

fish farming refers to the breeding of organisms in an aqueous environment and includes the

production of seafood from hatchery fish or shellfish31. In addition to negative environmental

impacts of endangering biodiversity of wildlife, harmful genetic impacts, and potential storm

damage, the practice of aquaculture can also lead to chemical pollution. Chemical pollution

results from unsafe use of inorganic chemicals during aquaculture32. As a result of the chemical

pollution, there are many possible hazards. Other organisms in nearby water could be infected

with toxic chemicals, the level of microbiological activity in the sediment below the cages that

hold the fish and shellfish may be hindered, or nearby bacteria may develop resistance to

antibiotics that are given to the fish33. Chemical pollution as a result of aquaculture poses a

serious threat to the environment.

Animal Health and Welfare

Although an argument based on the health and welfare of animals may seem to be based

on ethics, poor treatment of animals can also have serious environmental impacts. In the

production of milk from dairy cows, stress can decrease the productivity of the cows34. As a

result of the decreased productivity, less milk is produced, creating a greater amount of

emissions of methane per unit of milk produced. Similarly, when chickens encounter stressful

31
NOAA. "What Is Aquaculture?" NOAA Fisheries. Office of Aquaculture, 19 Dec. 2011. Web.
28 Feb. 2017.
32
MFFASA. "Marine Fish Farming: Environmental Impact Information." Marine Finfish Farmers
Association of South Africa 93.1 (1996): 105-06. MFFASA. MFFASA. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
33
MFFASA. "Marine Fish Farming: Environmental Impact Information." Marine Finfish Farmers
Association of South Africa 93.1 (1996): 105-06. MFFASA. MFFASA. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
34
WWF. "Dairy." WWF. World Wildlife Fund, 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
 fpx438 16

conditions, they lay fewer eggs. In addition, close crowding of dairy cows can also result in a

greater chance of the spread of disease. As a result, disease in dairy cows can limit export

options, pose supply risks, and contribute to production inefficiencies35. This shows that

psychological factors have an effect on the efficiency of the production of animal products and

the environment.

Reducing Emissions of Greenhouse Gases

Although livestock farming and agriculture can pose a serious threat to the environment,

there are some ways to lessen its impact. In the area of livestock management, the most efficient

way to reduce methane emissions would be to adjust feeding practices, such as improving the

quality of pastures for livestock in order to increase animal productivity36. In manure

management, a solution to reduce nitrous oxide would be to control the manner that excrement

from the livestock decompose or capturing the methane from the manure to create renewable

energy. Instead of storing manure in a system that stores manure as a liquid, such as a lagoon,

using the manure as fertilizer for pastures would decrease the amount of methane produced from

the production of manure37; however, it may lead to an increase in nitrous oxide. Another

solution would be to store the manure in areas without oxygen in order to first increase the

production of methane, but then capture it to use as renewable energy instead of fossil fuels38.

Management of land and crops can also be improved. Emissions of greenhouse gases in crop

35
WWF. "Dairy." WWF. World Wildlife Fund, 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
36
EPA. "Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 14
Feb. 2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
37
Aucoin, Michael. "Commercial Manure Program." PA.gov. Pennsylvania Department of
Agiculture, 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
38
EPA. "Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 14
Feb. 2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.
 fpx438 17

production can be reduced as well by reevaluating and adjusting the management of land and

crops. For example, farmers could fertilize crops using precise amounts of nitrogen, leading to

lower rates of emission of nitrous oxide. While the previously mentioned solutions may be

beneficial for the environment, they may be costly to transition to for farmers, creating a large

obstacle. However, the price to pay is small when compared to the potential destruction of the

earth as a result of climate change.

Conclusion

Overall, a plant-based diet will create less pollution than an omnivorous diet that includes

both plants and animal products. A vegan diet eliminates air pollution that is produced from

livestock farming and the emissions of hazardous gases, including methane, nitrous oxide, and

carbon dioxide. The large of amount of land required for livestock farming and the deforestation

that occurs in order to create space also largely increases the concentration of carbon dioxide in

the atmosphere. Animal waste also contributes to water pollution and can lead to harmful effects

on ecosystems in streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. However, fertilizer that is used to farm

plants can also cause water pollution with a similar effect of animal waste on ecosystems. All

these forms of pollution can be detrimental to human health as well. While a vegan diet may be

ideal to try to prevent to spread of pollution in the environment, an immediate change for the

entire world is unrealistic as the complete elimination of all animal farming would cause a

multitude of problems in other aspects of life, such as in the economy. Instead, a consumer

should at least try to purchase meat and other animal products that have been raised in conditions

that are sustainable. However, if people realized the positive change that a vegan diet makes on
 fpx438 18

the environment, a slow transition to eliminate the production of animal protein completely

would eventually lead to a cleaner environment overall and a smaller impact from human

activity.

Word Count: 3,552

Bibliography

Aucoin, Michael. "Commercial Manure Program." PA.gov. Pennsylvania Department of

Agiculture, 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

Cerosaletti, Paul, and Dale Dewing. "What Is Precision Feed Management?" The
Manager(2008): n. pag. Cornell University. Cornell University, 15 Dec. 2008. Web. 27
Feb. 2017.

Dybas, Cheryl, and David Hosansky. "U.S. Fires Release Enormous Amounts of Carbon
Dioxide." The National Science Foundation. N.p., 31 Oct. 2007. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.

EPA. "Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs)." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 17

Jan. 2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

EPA. "Enteric FermentationGreenhouse Gases." (n.d.): n. pag. EPA. Environmental

Protection Agency, 2004. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

EPA. "Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report." (n.d.): n. pag. EPA. Environmental Protection
Agency, 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

EPA. "Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency,

14 Feb. 2017. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

ESchooltoday. "What Is Land Pollution?" Your Cool Facts and Tips on Land Pollution.
ESchoolToday, 2008. Web. 24 Feb. 2017.

EA Scholin, et al. Mortality of Sea Lions along the central California coast linked to a
toxic diatom bloom, Nature, 403 (2000). 80-84. Print.

Fisher, Chris. "Consequences of Increased Global Meat Consumption on the Global

Environment." Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Stanford Woods Institute
for the Environment, 25 July 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

J. Barfroff. How the food we feed farm animals is destroying the environment. One
Green Planet. September 18, 2014. Print.
 fpx438 19

MFFASA. "Marine Fish Farming: Environmental Impact Information." Marine Finfish

Farmers Association of South Africa 93.1 (1996): 105-06. MFFASA. MFFASA. Web. 28
Feb. 2017.

NASA. "Carbon Dioxide Concentration." Global Climate Change. NASA, 23 Sept. 2016.
Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

NOAA. "What Is Aquaculture?" NOAA Fisheries. Office of Aquaculture, 19 Dec. 2011.

Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

NOAA. "What Is Ocean Acidification?" PMEL Carbon Program. N.p., 2008. Web. 28
Feb. 2017.

Null, Gary. "Part II: Healing the Planet." The Healthy Vegetarian: Healing Yourself,
Healing Our Planet. Palm Beach, FL: Essential, 2015. 403-542. Print.

People For Ethical Treatment of Animals. "Meat and the Environment." PETA. N.p.,
2016. Web. 13 Feb. 2017.

Pimentel, Marcia, and David Pimentel. "Sustainability of Meat-based and Plant-based

Diets and the Environment." The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The American
Society for Clinical Nutrition, 01 Sept. 2003. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.

Pimental, David. Soil Erosion: A Food and Environmental Threat. Journal of the
Environment, 8: 119-137. 2006. Prin

RJ Diaz and R. Rosenberg. Spreading Dead Zones and Consequences for Marine
Ecosystems Science, 321 (2008). 926-929. Print.

Rosales, Mauricio. "Cattle Ranching and Deforestation." Livestock Policy Brief (2003): n.
pag. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Sector Analysis and
Policy Branch Animal Production and Health Division, 2003. Web. 12 Jan. 2017.

Sabat, Joan, and Rosemary Ratzin-Turner. Vegetarian Nutrition. Boca Raton: CRC,
2001. Print.

Shapouri, Hosein, James A. Duffield, and Michael Wang. "The Energy Balance of Corn
Ethanol: An Update." United States Department of Agriculture (2002): n. pag. Web. 27
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