Veganism: The hunger connection - Vegan for the humans?

Starving girl (public domain photo)

Usually when we speak of going vegan, people connect it with animal rights. The thing is, though, going vegan benefits humans too and I'm not just talking about general well being. Other animals aren't the only ones negatively impacted by our largely omnivore diet choice. The impact the meat and dairy industry has on the environment and natural balance has, in fact caused many issues.

People around the world are starving and going without clean water, while here in the US, we use a great deal of it to raise cattle. In fact, we purchase grain from third world countries to feed livestock while the people in those same countries die of hunger on an hourly basis. It seems like we are being quite selfish when you make that connection, doesn't it?

For those of you who look at people in other countries as aliens, it's not just other countries, either. There are people right here in the US that go to bed without eating nightly. Meanwhile, others stuff their faces with mass quantities of greasy meat and gloppy cheese. It's about time we made the connection between our holiday gluttony, eating massive amounts of meat and dairy and the human condition. What are we teaching our kids here? To be selfish and inconsiderate?

And then, there's the pollution. Piles and piles of manure run-off into our streams, lakes and rivers can't be a good thing. We are introducing massive hoards of animals into the environment by over-breeding other animals for food and over-eating. Nature simply can't keep up with the waste products generated by this number of animals. It's that simple. It's not just bad for human health. It's frightening.

If we all went vegan, would the animals take over? No, because it wouldn't happen overnight. No offense, but connect with your brain. As the world gradually cut out meat and dairy consumption, there would be less and less demand for animal products, therefore less would be “produced.” In the final stages, with the remainder of animals roaming free, as they were intended, natural balance would once again come into play.

Best of all, the land we once used to raise animals could be used to raise healthier foods and to feed more people. The land, water and nutrients it takes to raise animals for food is far greater than what it takes to produce nutrient dense crops.

So, my fellow vegans, when you speak to others about your lifestyle choice, don't forget to mention the human connection in all this. Because it's not simply about saving other animals. It's about saving all animals, humans included. If we continue in the direction we're headed, we'll have nothing left to argue about, because there will be nothing left for any of us to eat or drink anyway.

It's already happening in other countries and even in ours. Do some research on the water shortages in the western states where meat production is a way of life. Take a look at the ponds and streams in your own area. If you live in a rural farming community, you will see that many of them are choked with algae growth from farming nitrate run-off.

You know those big corporations saw this coming long ago. Why do you think they started bottling water and buying up water rights? We used to laugh at buying water. Soon it will become the only way to obtain it. And all because of our own greed and gluttony.

Eating meat and dairy is unnatural for humans. It's been proven over and over. Look it up for yourself. And because we have been behaving in an unnatural manner for hundreds of years, we have upset the balance of nature to a point where she may not be able to recover. Going vegan isn't just about other animals. It's about saving ourselves, people. Making the vegan connection and making this a better world isn't just for hippies and bohemians. It's for the survival and well being of all of us.