Ecology is the multidisciplinary analytical study regarding the inter-relations between living things and their surroundings. It goes further to explain the interlinked relations among living things within the different levels of organization that exist in the environment. Ecology covers the areas of adaptation; energy and resource exchange in the environment; biodiversity abundance and allocation of living things within the eco-system. (Ayres 15)
Energy flow is the exchange of energy in terms of the varied constituent genus’ eating relations in a food sequence. This food sequence constitutes primary producers like plants which are converted into the required form of energy through digestion and respiration. At a higher level within the food sequence, primary consumers are consumed by secondary ones and the energy they contain is converted for absorption into the systems of the secondary organisms through the processes of digestion and respiration. Further on higher levels, the secondary organisms are consumed by the tertiary ones, therefore, passing down the energy associated with the processes involved at the higher levels. The final level of the food sequence is carried out by organisms that help in the decomposition of the primary; secondary; and tertiary organisms back to the food flow by acting as nutrients and manure to the soil. The organisms that help in decomposition include fungi and bacteria that are vital to the carbon and nitrogen cycles for this role. However, within the energy cycles, some amounts of energy are lost in the form of heat and egesta that leaves the members at the top of the food sequence receiving the least quantity of energy. However, the energy input-output ratio for beef production being 7:1 proves that a vegetarian diet is the only solution to the ecological wear-out taking place. (Ayres 15)
Sustainability is the capability of remaining varied and creative, of the different biological genus within a given environment. Among humans, it is the capability to use the natural capital and the natural world responsibly as a way to maintain possible long-term wellbeing. Sustainability is a concept that can be evidenced in long-existing wetlands and forests that have existed over the years through the chemical redistribution of water and gases like nitrogen and oxygen through the living and nonliving agents. However with the swelling world populations naturally sustainable eco-systems have reduced, resulting in a harmful effect on mankind as well as other living systems. In this case due to the high un-sustainability levels of beef and animal food production; the production of vegetarian food products provides the only solution for ecological sustainability and rejuvenation. (Reisner 29-35)
Biogeochemical cycling is the mode of transfer of a chemical element through the non-biotic and biotic sections of the earth thus undergoing recycling. An example of this is the water cycle that takes place through different processes like evaporations and condensation. In the case of beef production, the resources are not capable of reuse due to the high energy losses associated therefore leaving the adoption of vegetarian eating habits as a solution. (Reisner 29-35)
Areas of environmental concern that are of importance in determining the stability of the eco-system and the level of benefit an individual can gain from it include; water pollution which is any change in the quantity of chemical or organic properties of water that leads to harmful effects to the individuals that use or organisms that live in the water. Water pollutants include disease-causing agents and oxygen demanding wastes that are channeled into water bodies by human activities like sewage treatment and oil spills. The presence of pollutants in water is detected through laboratory testing or the use of living organisms like fish that show changes of behavior in polluted water. Air pollution leads to the loss of life that brings about the loss of energy from the energy chain leading to negative impacts on ecological stability. Air pollution is the fusion of foreign compounds with the gases in the air. Some examples of air pollutants include factory emissions; car exhaust gases; smog and pollen which may be harmful when inhaled. However, the effects of pollution are more severe among patients with lung and heart diseases; children, and aged people. Air pollution has the same impact on the ecology as has water pollution. (Phillipson & Bullock 261-264)
Global warming is the substantial rise in the temperatures of the oceans and the earth’s near atmosphere as a result of the accumulation of greenhouse gases; that accumulate as a result of human activities like the burning of fossil fuels and cutting down of trees that neutralize these gases. Among the negative effects of global warming include the rise in sea level and increase of sea ice formation. Global warming further leads to the formation of deserts that result in an imbalance in the ecological status-quo. (Levin 1943-1947)
Deforestation is the destruction of non-artificial woodland by the human processes of cutting down trees or forest burning for the purposes of charcoal burning or the need for land to be used for purposes like settlement and agriculture. This practice leads to the loss of habitat; aridity and deficiency in biodiversity that further result in the accumulation of carbon dioxide gas; soil erosion and desertification. Deforestation shortens the energy flow channel and degrades the ecosystem. (Phillipson & Bullock 261-264)
A vegetarian diet is one that centers on the use of plant products like cereals; fruits and vegetables for food. However vegetarian diets differ depending on the eating patterns adopted where; a vegan diet is one that constitutes only vegetables without any meat or animal products in it. A Lacto vegetarian diet on the other hand constitutes dairy products in addition to plant products and a Lacto-Ovo vegetarian diet that in addition to plant products includes eggs and dairy products. A vegetarian diet constitutes all the minerals and nutrients needed by the human body but requires that individuals eat a wide variety of foods to meet their nutritional needs if required. The nutrients that a vegetarian diet is likely to lack include vitamin B12; calcium; protein and Zinc. (Levin 1943-1947)
The ecological benefits of a vegetarian diet include that; it can feed more people as compared to mixed diets. It was found out from recent research that an estimated number of 6.3 billion people were fed on purely vegetarian diets in the year 1992, as compared to 4.2 billion by an 85% vegetarian diet and 3.2 billion others on a 75% vegetarian diet. Another ecological benefit of a vegetarian diet is that; it helps reduce the tension on the global inadequate factors of production as well as helping reduce the levels of pollution and as a result, helping reduce the global warming threat. Vegetarian diets are also beneficial to the ecological status of the environment because they help save the numerous animal species that are currently facing the threat of extinction. According to recent research by the Johns Hopkins hospital; the rearing of animals for food that is done on a large scale has a great threat to the planet’s resources like pesticides; water; cereals; medicines; and petroleum, which are used in great quantities during livestock keeping. (Phillipson & Bullock 261-264)
A comparative study by the Sierra Club in 2002 showed that the meat industry brought about a substantial amount of environmental violations, which put the ecological balance of the environment under threat than does the effects of war. The amount of cereals required to feed farm animals to be used for meat is very high at 70% as compared to the amount of food that comes from the production inform of meat. Livestock keeping therefore can be argued to be wasteful of the limited societal resources. Further, the time taken for the rearing of animals to be used as a source of food is so long as compared to that used on plant products like food grains. The preparation of animal products is known to demand the excessive use of fossil fuel energy; that is approximately eight times more as compared to that needed for the preparation of plant proteins. This directly puts pressure on the limited energy resources, therefore, creating an ecological deficit. (Levin 1943-1947)
Research has attributed the meat industry to be a chief cause of clean water depletion around the world, as more water resources are subjected to the production of chicken and pigs as opposed to crop production that has direct consumption. This leads to the exhaustion of water resources at levels that can not be replenished by rainwater, therefore, resulting in unfavorable biogeochemical cycling. The proportion of land used on animal production is more than 30% of the earth’s surface land, accounting for ever-increasing deforestation, erosion from overgrazing and places pressure on water supply. Animal production further brings about water pollution from the accumulation of animal waste; fertilizers and antibiotics; and pesticides from the animal production sites. The manufacture; packaging and transit of animal food products cost a big deal in terms of natural resources and finances resulting in pressure on the already limited economic resources. Recent research showed that the consumption of a pound of meat generates the equivalent quantity of greenhouse gases as that generated by a fossil-fuel-consuming SUV driven for forty miles. This clearly shows that the consumption of animal products generates more greenhouse gases that increase the instances of global warming. Recent research by the UNFAO showed that the global meat business produces 18% of the total greenhouse gases yet higher than that generated by all vehicles; trains; aircraft and water vessels that account for 13.5%. (Phillipson & Bullock 261-264)
Statistics based on research indicating that the production of one pound of beef does consume seven pounds of grain; indicating that the food capable of satisfying seven people is reduced to an amount capable of feeding only one person. The overall effect of this phenomenon leads to food shortage in the long run, therefore, supporting the benefits of adopting a vegetarian diet. A study by the UN’s WFP showed that the wealthier nation become; is directly related to the beef demands among the citizens. This increase in demand for beef; creates the need for clearing of more land for the use of planting more grain to feed the livestock to provide for the extra beef demand. This cause-effect relationship leads to the clearing of forests and vegetated areas, therefore, increasing the likelihood of desertification and global warming. (Reisner 29-35)
Further study shows that 30% of the world’s land is used for agriculture and 70% of the produce is consumed by the production of livestock. Livestock production further accounts for the consumption of 8% of the world’s water consumption qualifying to be the most water-consuming human activity. This study attributes the use of between 13,000 to 100,000 kilograms of water on producing a single kilogram of beef as compared to the production of wheat that requires between 1,000 and 2,000 kilograms of water to produce a kilogram. This proves that beef production extends the use of water which is one of the major resources that account for the overall productivity of society. Further, the high consumption of fossil fuels in preparation of beef products results in higher emission of greenhouse gases that further places the globe closer to the development of acid rain that affects plants; animals; and directly heightening the acid levels in the soil further compromising the overall productivity. The higher use of fossil fuels increases the levels of air pollution; contributes to the build-up of global warming and as a result, leads to climate change that further places the eco-system under the threat of degradation. (Ayres 15)
This paper is addressing the ecological benefits of adapting a vegetarian diet that has a direct impact and relationship with other areas of concern in studying the environment. Some of these processes that are directly related to the ecological benefits include; energy flow; biogeochemical cycling; pollution; sustainability; deforestation and global warming. From this study based on research finings adopting a vegetarian diet qualifies to be the only solution to the rising levels of ecological degradation.
Work cited
Ayres, Essie. “Will we still eat meat?” Time. 1999:15
Levin, Asher. “The Problem of Pattern and Scale in Ecology: The Robert H. MacArthur Award”. Ecology 73 (6).1992:1943-1967.
Phillipson, Jeremy. and Bullock, Jim. “Navigating the social sciences: interdisciplinarity and ecology”. Journal of Applied Ecology 46.2009: 261–264.
Reisner, Marc. “Cadillac desert: the American West and its disappearing water.”1986: 29-35