Hm, even more of a reason to go vegetarian :)

I've heard about this and it's an interesting concept. I have a friend who has a friend that's a vegetarian for this reason. However, I would be disinclined to become a vegetarian because of this. Though it is a very worthy cause, I'd need more reason than that to give up meat. I like it too much, lol.

Chyeah! Veggie kids ftw!

Ancient_Scribe@xanga - And also the bacterial decomposition of their bodies would also produce a lot of methane.

I am vegan, partly for environmental reasons. I think it's a great reason. 

@Ancient_Scribe@xanga - Natural predators such as wolves, mountain loins, alligators would do a fine job of cutting down the number of livestock should humans stop eating them. Scavengers would clean up. Then mother natural will take hold and many species will self regulate by the available territory and food available. It would not be ideal of course but it seems you are implying that just by stopping eating meat, farm animals would take over the world, die, rot and just be left there.

@RazorBladeParade@xanga - There wouldn't be any issue of population control if we weren't breeding them. 

That's the main reason I'm a vegan. Yay Earth!

@TornadoChaser@momaroo - Natural predators would be a fine argument if they weren't currently being poached and put on endangered species lists all over the world. Especially with wolves. But the increase in their food would almost certainly cause them to breed too much, posing threats to humans too.

There already is overpopulation of animals. Cats and dogs and other companion animals, especially in developing countries where you commonly see dogs and cats being eaten. In Australia kangaroos and koalas are seen as pests already. And then back in the 70's they had that whole locust plague problem because of all the overpopulation. But overpopulation isn't about numbers, it's about the environment's resources being able to handle the amount of animals, and there really would be a problem considering that animals in the wild currently can't even find enough resources because of human housing projects. Not to mention, whenever you release an animal into the wild that's not native to that area, it almost always over-breeds. This happened when deer and trout were introduced to Australia. Then those animals start scaring off the animals that were there before for food, and then it's just a vicious cycle of new animal to new location.

It would also help if people didn't let so much food go to waste. I wonder if they've looked into that. There are so many people that buy meat, let it go bad, then throw it away. So they have to buy more and more, keeping themselves in that unhealthy cycle. Maybe if people would try to be less wasteful, that would help. I don't think people should necessarily try to make other people vegetarians. People are stubborn, and most meat eaters aren't going to change their preferences out of the blue. There will always be people who like a little meat in their diet. Whereas looking into this area is helpful, they should also consider other helpful avenues.

Interesting, though.

@RazorBladeParade@xanga - Hmmm...If there's an overpopulation of cats and dogs, then why don't people in America eat them to control their population? Idk...just a thought.

This article: BEST REASON TO BE A VEGGIE.

@Faerie_In_Combat_Boots@xanga - I can answer that! People don't eat cats and dogs because they find it taboo. The reason why is because people often find a personal connection between cats and dogs: they keep them as pets. The reason some don't feel that way about cows and lambs and chickens is because the meal they order is not personal to them. But whenever someone mentions eating a cat or dog, people start flipping out. Either things are raised for food or raised as family. There is no right or wrong in the category of domesticated animals (which include cats and dogs).

The real question is why Americans find it taboo to eat dogs, yet they call one everyday food a "hotdog"? Think about it. :)

@Faerie_In_Combat_Boots@xanga - Well, you could just as easily say "why don't people eat people to control overpopulation?". It's taboo. But I'm willing to bet some people out there eat cats and dogs in America.

this is exactly why i became vegetarian! it's a great concept!

@sparkletone1684@xanga - the earth is slowly dying and you need more of a reason? just surprised.

@Ancient_Scribe@xanga - it wouldn't just be an instantaneous thing.  it would be a slow process, so if people started eating less meat, the market would see that there is less demand and would therefore harvest less meat leading lesser animals and decreased emissions of methane.  You do have another great idea to approaching this issue too: they could change the POLICIES on how much livestock is harvested so that there wouldn't be excess animals just consuming all the resources

@RazorBladeParade@xanga - well we're not about to extinguish 3 billion people. And since we have morals, we continue to be humanitarians and aid those in need, who probably are the additional portion of population, by feeding them and helping them live more humanely. ONE of those ways, is to eat less meat or stop eating it altogether because the food and water given to the animals can be given to actual people in need!

@laytexduckie@xanga - that is true that there is much more to global warming than vegetarianism/veganism, but this post is saying that this is another way people can contribute and help the effort of mitigating climate change.  i support the idea of buying and eating locally too! it's another great and easy way we can all help just like changing light bulbs and turning off lights.

@XactiLucius@xanga - of course the industry is not going to disappear, but if we could reduce it by becoming vegetarian, then less resources would be expended on animals and be used for our own country and for others in need.  And yes we do need to plant more trees :] in addition to stopping the cutting down of trees

@cRyStaL_rAiNe@xanga - Yeah, which is pretty much what I said.