HEALTH | 2 min. read

Eat Clean: Animal vs Plant

(Which one has a huge negative impact on our environment?)

By Eleanor Webley | Updated on March 12, 2022, 08:06am

Opinions expressed by Smart Start Session's contributors are their own.

You may have already known how vegan people are strongly opposing the consumption of animals and products that contain traces of animals in the ingredient.

People are divided on whether we should consume more plants or more animals. For instance, vegan people oppose the consumption of animals, but, on the contrary, the people who adopt a ketogenic diet focus highly on the consumption of animals.

You may be surprised to tell you that BOTH harms our environment as well as to our health.

ANIMALS: Chicken and Pig and Cow

Back in time, cavemen do not know about farming thus their survival relies mainly on animal consumption. And over time, the meats it become an alternative staple when they learn to farm.

Fast forward, generations started to expand farming. And, due to the growing populations and demands... these businessmen came up with strategies on how to generate income quickly by producing mass production and disregard its harmful effect.

Once the animals were used to walking around freely and eating grass, they became caged in compact space and given genetically modified feeds and antibiotics to make them grow fast. Due to the lack of movement and kept in enclosed space for these animals, they become unhealthy and fat.

Nowadays, the animals in the market are frail; loaded with antibiotics and gmo feeds. You will notice, grass-fed meat is too expensive compare with grain-fed meat.

The carbon emission? Hmm, the information above is obvious. the organic ethical farmed animals have hardly generated pollution; methane gas but the poor standard of raising animals and production from factory farming is the main culprit.

Your beloved government agencies who are supposed to monitor and regulate the safety and standards of animal production and plant growers are not performing well and apparently corruption is also in the picture.

PLANTS: Fruit and Vegetable

In the past, our access to fruit and vegetable were seasonal. Nowadays, it is available almost all year round.

Again, due to the growing population and the consumption... farmers came up with an idea to use pesticides and herbicides to ensure their plants are not infested and use cheap and non-organic seeds to cut costs.

The use of harmful chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides etc has a massive negative impact on the soil, air, water, living creatures, farmer’s health, and the consumer’s health.

You have to realize that everything around us is already contaminated. Our farmers need to get back to the old ways of organic farming. Otherwise, the quality of soil will deteriorate and our rivers and sea will be contaminated and the living creatures will slowly disappear which also plays an important role in our ecological being eg. pollinators.

Our biggest problem is not about whether you should give up animal consumption and adapt more to plants. But, it is all about ‘balanced consumption’ and knowing the importance between your wants and needs. And, support only the ethical and organic farms.

Mahatma Gandhi said:

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”