How to win an argument with a meat eater.

The Hunger Argument
Amount of total US grain production consumed by livestock: 70%
How frequently a child on Earth dies as a result of malnutrition and starvation: Every 2.3 seconds
Amount of US grain exports consumed by livestock: 66%
Number of children who die as a result of malnutrition and starvation every day: 38,000
Amount of world grain harvest consumed by livestock throughout the eighties: Half
Number of people who will die as a result of malnutrition and starvation this year: 20,000,000
Number of people who could be fed using the land, water and energy that would be freed up from growing livestock feed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 100,000,000

The Natural Resources Argument
By 1977, the amount of all raw materials (base products of farming, forestry and mining, including fossil fuels) consumed by the U.S., devoted to the production of livestock: One third
Calories of fossil fuel expended to produce 1 calorie of protein from beef: 78
Calories of fossil fuel expended to produce 1 calorie of protein from soybeans: 2
Activity that accounts for more than half of all water consumed for all purposes in the United States:
Livestock Production
Amount of U.S. cropland producing livestock feed: 64%
Amount of US cropland producing fruits and vegetables: 2%
Pounds of edible product that can be produced on an acre of prime land:
Cherries 5,000
Green Beans 10,000
Apples 20,000
Carrots 30,000
Potatoes 40,000
Tomatoes 50,000
Celery 60,000
Beef 250

The Health Argument
Amount of all diseases in the U.S. that are diet related: 68%
Diseases that can be commonly prevented, consistently improved, and sometimes cured by observing a low-fat diet free from animal products:
Arthritis Breast Cancer
Constipation Diverticulosis
Heart Disease Hypoglycemia
Kidney Disease Osteoporosis
Prostate Cancer Strokes
Asthma Colon Cancer
Diabetes Gallstones
Hypertension Impotence
Obesity Peptic Ulcers
Salmonellosis Trichinosis

The Cholesterol Argument
Amount spent annually in U.S. to treat cardiovascular disease: $135 Billion
Most common cause of death in U.S.: Heart Disease
Risk of heart attack for the average American man: 50%
Risk of death front heart attack for the average American man who consumes no meat, dairy products or eggs: 4%
Dietary cholesterol intake needed to support human health: None -- the body makes its own
Leading sources of saturated fat and cholesterol in American diets: Meat, poultry and dairy products
Cholesterol found in all grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds: None

The Cancer Argument
Amount of all cancers in the U.S. that are diet related: 40%
Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat eggs daily compared to once a week: 2.8 times higher
Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat butter and cheese 2-4 times a week compared to once
a week: 3.2 times higher
Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat meat daily compared to less than once a week: 3.8 times higher
Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, dairy products and eggs daily as compared to sparingly: 3.6 times higher
Increased risk of fatal ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more days a week compared to less than once a week: 3 times higher

The Protein Argument
Recommendations of the amount of daily calories to be provided by protein according to:
World Health Organization of the United Nations: 4.5%
Food and Nutrition Board of the USDA: 6%
National Research Council: 8%
Percent of calories as protein in:
Broccoli: 47% Lettuce: 34%
Zucchini: 28% Tomatoes: 18%
Wheat: 17% Potatoes: 11%
Brown Rice: 8%
Source: USDA
Health status of pure vegetarians from many populations of the world according to the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences: Excellent

The Antibiotic Argument
Amount of total antibiotics used in US that are fed to livestock: 55%
Staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1960: 13%
Staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin in 1988: 91%
Major contributing cause: The breeding of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in factory farms due to routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock

The Food Safety Argument
1985 National Academy of Sciences report: Current federal inspection procedures are inadequate to protect the public from meat-related diseases
Amount of all inspected chickens with salmonella bacteria: One-third
Amount of federal poultry inspectors who said they would not eat chicken: 75%

The Environmental Argument
Amount of original US cropland permanently removed from production due to excessive soil erosion: One-third
Pounds of topsoil lost in the production of one pound of feedlot steak: 35
Production of excrement by US livestock: 230,000 pounds per second
Water pollution attributable to US agriculture, including runoff of soil, pesticides and manure: Greater than all municipal and industrial sources combined
Amount of wells and surface streams in the US contaminated by agricultural pollutants: Half

The Strength Argument
Only man to win Ironman Triathlon more than twice: Dave Scott, 6 time winner
World record – 24 hour triathlon; swim 4.8 miles, cycle 185 miles, run 52.5 miles: Sixto Linares
Food choices of Dave Scott and Sixto Linares: Vegetarian

Personal Choices - Global Results
The cumulative impact of a simple decision, such as what to eat for breakfast, becomes a powerful force when billions of people do it every day. In fact, what you choose to eat is intimately connected to the health and environmental crises confronting our world today.

EarthSave is a nonprofit, educational organization informing people about the benefits for themselves and the planet of moving toward a plant-based diet. EarthSave shows how you can make a powerful, positive difference in our world.

Many of the facts on this poster are from John Robbins’ Diet for A New America. To order this book, or to receive more information about this vital work, write to:

706 FREDERICK STREET
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA 95062-2205
Mention this poster and receive a free copy of Realities for the 90s, a 20 page pamphlet of statistics and eye-opening facts about food choices and personal and planetary health

This page is copied from the original EarthSave poster.

For sources for many of the facts in this poster check out the following sites:
http://ddi.digital.net/~tilleyrw/realities_90s.html
http://www.seanet.com/~camw/realitie.htm

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