So you love eating meat, right? But maybe you don’t love killing animals. Or maybe you’re a fan of the environment (what’s not to love?) and would like to cut down on your use of one of the biggest methane producers on the planet? Well, William Saletan has a modest proposal for you.
Not that kind of modest proposal but kudos to you if you caught that historical allusion (see, that liberal arts degree is good for something!). No, Mr. Saletan is proposing we grow our own meat. In test tubes. Apparently the technology has arrived where we can grow organ-specific cells without an actual organ-bearing host. Next step: whole organs or muscles (aka “meat”) that come from no dead animals. I’m intrigued.
He also argues that the technology could be tweaked to make meat healthier (darn all those fats and carcinogens!!), more tender, and more affordable. Not to mention better for ye olde environment.
Need More Reasons To Go Meat Free?
Then check out e-diets list of the top ten reasons to go veg. Or at least veg one day a week? You can start small:)
My faves from this list:
– Vegetarians have a healthier body weight than non-vegs
– Vegetarians have a lower incidence of cancers (30-40% less for colon cancer!) than non-vegs
– Vegetarians have lower incidences of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and high blood pressure. – We also have lower rates of gall stones, kidney stones, osteoporosis and diverticular disease.
Bonus: Earth Love!
Being veg is kinder to our planet. Eating lower on the food chain eliminates all the costs that go into growing, shipping, and preparing meat. Here are some fun facts for you from GlobalIssues.org:
– More than one third of the world’s grain harvest is used to feed livestock.
– The total cattle population for the world is approximately 1.3 billion occupying some 24 percent of the land of the planet.
– Some 70 percent to 80 percent of grain produced in the United States is fed to livestock.
– Half the water consumed in the U.S. is used to grow grain for cattle feed.
– A gallon of gasoline is required to produce a pound of grain-fed beef.
If you are worried that going veg won’t be healthy, then I definitely recommend reading the whole article. You can easily meet your nutritional needs with plant sources. If you are worried that you could never give up meat because you just love it too much – well, look for a test tube coming to a grocery store near you!