Noble Guardians Resplendent Earth

One planet. One chance.

If the future of the world depended on me, what would I do?

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This wondrous planet is our Earthly home. From our animal co-inhabitants, to the lush rainforests and life giving soil, we cherish all these as gifts from our creator. It is a common theme in the world’s major faiths that during our temporary stay here, we should be good stewards of Mother Earth - leading a balanced life while following a spiritual path. Not only must we nourish our spirits but we share the responsibility to care for nature and our fellow beings. In light of recent scientific evidence, stressing the grave state of our planet caused by climate change, this important message is ever more meaningful.

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VEGETARIANISM IN RELIGION Buddhism

I forbid all meat eating, regardless of whether the animal dies naturally or is killed. I have never allowed my disciples to eat meat, and I will not allow in the present or future. ~ Shakyamuni Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra All tremble at violence; all fear death. Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill. ~ Shakyamuni Buddha, Dhammapada One is not a great one because one defeats or harms other living beings. One is so-called because one refrains from defeating or harming other living beings. ~ Shakyamuni Buddha, Dhammapada All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas essentially practice the principle of great compassion. The suffering of living beings brings forth their great compassion. From this great compassion emerges the great wisdom, and with this great wisdom, they attain the ultimate enlightenment. ~ Shakyamuni Buddha, Avatamsaka Sutra

People who eat meat are destroying the great merciful seed of their own Buddha nature, and any sentient beings seeing them would leave them. Therefore, all Bodhisattvas (spiritual practitioners) must refrain from eating the flesh of sentient beings as this will incur boundless sin. ~ Shakyamuni Buddha, Brahmajala Sutra

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Hurt not others with that which pains you yourself. ~ Buddhist Sutra Udanavarga 5,18

All the saints abhorred eating blood or flesh…. Celestial beings never go near people who eat meat as their mouth always has a foul smell…. Meat is not good, meat is unclean; meat eating generates evils and destroys merits and blessings. All the saints denounce eating meat! ~ Shakyamuni Buddha, Lankavatara Sutra So with a boundless heart should one cherish all living beings, radiating kindness over the entire world, spreading upward to the skies, and downward to the depths, outward and unbounded. ~Metta Sutra, “Loving-kindness”

“Bodhisattvas (spiritual practitioners) should discern that all meats are from the filthy bodes, which are combined by pus, blood, dirtiness, red-bindu (Bright Drop)s, white-bindus of the parents. Thus, discerning the dirtiness of meat, Bodhisattvas should not eat meat.” ~ Lankavatara Sutra

“All meats are like the dead bodies of human beings…. the cooked meats are as stinky and feculent as the burned dead bodies, so how could we eat such things?” ~ Lankavatara Sutra

“Meat eating can increase desires, meat eaters are greedy….For the instinct of protecting and cherishing life, there is no difference between human and animal…. Anyone who wants to eat meat should first discern the pain of cutting his own body, and then discern the pains of all living beings, and then give up meat eating.” ~ Lankavatara Sutra

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“Meat eaters have so many countless offences, thus vegetarians have masses of countless merits and virtues.” ~ Lankavatara Sutra

“Now in this Lankavatara Sutra I say, at all times, all kinds of meats are inedible, unexceptionally. Mahamati, I forbid meat eating not only for one time, I mean that both in present and future, meat eating is forbidden.” ~ Lankavatara Sutra

A disciple of the Buddha must not deliberately eat meat. He should not eat the flesh of any sentient being. The meat-eater forfeits the seed of Great Compassion, severs the seed of the Buddha Nature and causes [animals and transcendental] beings to avoid him. Those who do so are guilty of countless offenses. ~ Brahmajala Sutra

All men tremble at punishment, all men fear death. Likening others to oneself, one should neither slay nor cause to slay. ~ Dhammapada Sutra

A state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another? ~ Samyutta Nikaya v. 353

The Earth/Environment

As a bee gathering nectar does not harm or disturb the colour and fragrance of the flower; so do the wise move through the world. ~Lord Buddha, Dhammapada: Flowers, verse 49

The forest is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness and benevolence

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that makes no demands for its sustenance and extends generously the products of its life and activity; it affords protection to all beings. ~Buddhist Sutra

Christianity

Thou shalt not kill. ~ Exodus 20:13, Holy Bible

It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer and die. ~Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2418

Those who eat meat break the Five Constant Virtues. 1- Killing animals to satisfy our taste is inhumane. 2- Killing animals, causing separation in their family, in order to feed our relatives are unrighteous. 3- Making befoul food offering from animal meat to the deities is disrespectful. 4- Praising the eating of animals as if it is God‟s gift so as to justify the killing of animals is unwise. 5- Lure and trick the animals into the snare is untruthful. Worldly people must keep the five constant virtues; breaking these intentionally is to break the moral principles. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. ~ Genesis, Holy Bible

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Even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. ~ Genesis, Holy Bible

St. Paul: “It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.” ~ Romans 14:21, Holy Bible

For I tell you truly, he who kills, kills himself, and who eats the flesh of slain beasts, eats of the body of death. For in his blood every drop of their blood turns to poison; in his breath their breath to stink; in his flesh their flesh to boils; in his bones their bones to chalk; in his bowels their bowels to decay; in his eyes their eyes to scales; in his ears their ears to waxy issue. And their death will become his death ~ The Essene Gospel of Peace, Book 1

Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. ~ 1st Corinthians 6:13, Holy Bible

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. ~ Proverbs: 15:17, Holy Bible

And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. ~ Numbers 11:33, Holy Bible

Kill not, neither eat the flesh of your innocent prey, lest you become the slaves of Satan. For that is the path of sufferings,

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and it leads unto death. But do the will of God, that His angels may serve you on the way of life. ~ The Essene Gospel of Peace, Book 1

Do to others as you want them to do to you. ~Luke 6:31, Holy Bible

To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or lambs, or of he-goats…And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of innocent blood. Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil. ~ Isaiah 1:11, 15-16, Holy Bible Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. ~ Leviticus, King James Bible

Jesus said, “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” ~ Matthew 9:13 & 12:7, Holy Bible

And God said, 'Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is breath of life, I have given every green herb for meal and it was so. ~ Genesis 1:29-30, Holy Bible

Do not be among those who give themselves to wine-drinking, or among those who make themselves full with meat. ~ Proverbs 23:20, Holy Bible

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Let the law of kindness show no limits. Show a loving consideration for all God‟s creatures. ~ Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), General Advices Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. ~ Matthew 5:7, Holy Bible

The Earth/Environment

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to serve and preserve it. ~Genesis 2:15, Jewish Talmud and Old Testament of Christian Holy Bible

We should care about the kind of world our children will inherit. ~ Proverbs 13:22a, Christian Holy Bible “Hurt not the Earth, neither the Sea, nor the Trees” ~ Revelations, The Holy Christian Bible

Islam

There is not an animal on the earth, nor a flying creature on two wings, but they are people like unto you. ~Qur'an, Al-An`am 6:38 Whoever is kind to all creatures of God is kind to himself. ~ Prophet Mohammad, Hadith

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At one time the Rasul of Allah said to his cousin „Ali, “O „Ali, you should not eat meat. If you eat meat for forty days, those qualities will come within you. Those actions will come within you. Their blood will come within you. Their qualities and their actions will come within you. Because of that, your human qualities will change, your

compassionate qualities will change, the essence of your body will change. O 'Ali, you should not eat meat or flesh. You have to diminish that. Do not eat that.” ~ Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, Islamic Sufi saint A good deed done to an animal is as meritorious as done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as an act of cruelty to a human being. ~ Prophet Mohammad, Hadith

All creatures are like a family of God: and He loves the most those who are the most beneficient to His family. ~ Prophet Mohammad, Hadith

Allah will not give mercy to anyone, except those who give mercy to other creatures. Where there is an abundance of vegetables, a host of angels will descend on that place. ~ Prophet Mohammad, Hadith

Do not allow your stomachs to become graveyards of animals! ~ Prophet Muhammad, Hadith

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He who takes pity even on a sparrow and spares its life, Allah will be merciful on him on the Day of Judgement. ~ Prophet Mohammad, Hadith

Their flesh and their blood reach not Allah, but the devotion from you reacheth Him. Thus have we made them subject unto you that ye may magnify Allah that He hath guided you. And give good tidings, O Mohammad, to the good. ~ Qur'an Sura Sura: AL-Hajj 37

Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praise all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds of the air with wings outspread? Each one knows its own mode of prayer and praise, and Allah knows well all that they do. ~ Qur'an Sura Al-Nour, 41

The Earth/Environment The world is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you his guardian over it. ~ Prophet Muhammad

Those who take undue advantage of other species break the Divine Law of equilibrium in nature - and nature never forgives. ~Qur'an 30:30 Whoever plants a tree and diligently looks after it until it matures and bears fruit is rewarded. ~ Prophet Muhammad, Hadith

If a Muslim plants a tree or sows a field and men and beasts and birds eat from it, all of it is charity on his part. ~ Prophet Muhammad, Hadith

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The world is beautiful and verdant, and verily Allah, be He exalted, has made you His stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves. ~ Prophet Muhammad, Hadith

Judaism Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is like him.” So the Lord God formed out of the ground each wild animal and each bird of the sky, and brought each to the man to see what he would call it. ~ Genesis 2:18-19, Talmud and Christian Old Testament, Holy Bible

The Jewish concept of tsa'ar ba'alei chaim is the obligation not to cause pain to animals. ~ Code of Jewish Law And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. ~ Leviticus 17:10, Holy Bible

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” ~ Genesis,1.29 Jewish Talmud and Old Testament of Christian Holy Bible

I will make a covenant on behalf of Israel with the wild beasts, the birds of the air, and the things that creep on the hearths, that all creatures may lie down without living in fear. ~Hosea, 2:18, Talmud and Old Testament, Holy Bible

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What is hateful to you, do not do to others. ~ Talmud, Shabbat 3id

The Earth/Environment

When God created Adam… the Garden of Eden, God told him: Everything… has been created for your sake. Think of this and do not corrupt the world; for if you corrupt it, there will be no one to set it right after you. ~ Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13

You must not destroy (bal tashchit) its fruit trees. . . You may eat of them but you must not destroy the fruit trees. ~ Deuteronomy, 20:20, Jewish Talmud and Old Testament of Christian Holy Bible The Torah commands us to safeguard nature: “Take care not to spoil.” ~ Deuteronomy XX, 19, Jewish Talmud and Old Testament of Christian Holy Bible

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Global Warming

The meat industry “emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.”

Senior U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization official, Henning Steinfeld

Livestock production is responsible for 18% of the global greenhouse gas emissions (GGE), that‟s more than all the cars, trains, ships and aeroplanes - the whole transport sector combined in the world. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

Livestock production generates 65% of the world’s Nitrous Oxide, which has 296 times the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of Carbon Dioxide. Most of this comes from manure. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

Livestock production is responsible for 37% of the world’s Methane (23 times the global warming impact of Carbon Dioxide). Methane is largely produced by the digestive system of ruminants. (Ibid)

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The animals we rear for meat also account for 64% of ammonia which contributes significantly to acid rain affecting biodiversity. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

Livestock Sector is the single largest producer of Methane and Nitrous Oxide. (Ibid)

Methane has risen by 148% over 255 years from 1750, while Carbon Dioxide emissions have increased by 35% over the same period of time. (IPCC 4

th Assessment, IPCC Fourth Assessment Report – Synthesis Report

2007 http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/ar4-syr.htm, chapter 2)

The most devastating and irreversible effect of rising temperatures and the Arctic ice melt will be the release of 400 billion tons of methane gas from the ocean seabed. The release of this gas, in such a huge quantity will seal all our fates. (Walter K M, Zimov S A, Chanton J P, Verbyla D and Chapin III F S 2006

“Methane bubbling from Siberian thaw lakes as a positive feedback to

climate warming”, Nature 443; 71-75, 7 Sept. 2006 http://tinyurl.com/dzpl96

The fast release of methane into the Earth's atmosphere 55 million years ago caused rapid warming and mass extinction of species, disrupting the climate for more than 100,000 years. Another catastrophe, 251 million years ago, came close to destroying nearly all life on Earth due to the release of methane. (Atcheson J 2004 “Methane Burps: Ticking Time Bomb” Energy Bulletin,

15 Dec. 2004, http://www.energybulletin.net/node/3647

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Producing one calorie of animal protein requires more than 10 times as much fossil fuel input, (releasing more than 10 times as much Carbon Dioxide) than does a calorie of plant protein. (Pimentel D and Pimentel M 2003, Sustainability of Meat-Based and Plant-

Based Diets and the Environment,” Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2003 ;78(suppl):

660S-3S)

Studies on world food security estimate that an affluent diet containing meat requires up to 3 times as many resources as a vegetarian diet. (Penning de Vries, F.W.T., Van Keulen, H. and Rabbinge, R. 1995. Natural

resources and limits of food production in 2040. Eco-Regional Approaches

for Sustainable Land Use and Food Production. Kluwer Academic

Publishing. Dordrecht. 65-87)

According to Earth Save International, a shift away from methane-emitting food sources is much easier to combat global warming than cutting Carbon Dioxide and has an immediate effect.

A kilogram of beef is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution than driving for 3 hours while leaving all the lights on back home. (Meat is murder on the environment, New Scientist 2007, Issue No. 2613, P

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Cabinet Office report, Food Matters, presents evidence that a diet containing less meat and dairy products is not only healthier than our current eating habits, but is better for the environment. (Food Matters, Cabinet Office, July 2008, p.15)

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Deforestation

Livestock Sector is a major cause of deforestation. (UN FAO,

Livestock‟s Long

Shadow, Rome 2006)

Livestock production is responsible for

70% of the Amazon deforestation where the rainforest has been cleared for pasture land. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

A large part of the remainder of the Amazon is used for feed crops for cattle. (Ibid)

2.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere as a result of deforestation for the purpose of livestock maintenance. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

Each second, an area of tropical rainforest the size of a football field is destroyed to produce 257 hamburgers. (Earth Save Magazine, Summer 2002, p12 http://tinyurl.com/6ghv5m)

24 hours deforestation releases as much CO2 into the atmosphere as 8 million people flying from London to New York. (Eating Up The Amazon, Greenpeace, 2006)

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The average car produces 3 kg/day of CO2. Clearing rainforests to produce beef for one hamburger produces 75 kg of CO2. (Ibid)

Deforestation destroys the homes of approximately 300 million people - indigenous and non-indigenous. (Vegetarian Society: Why it‟s green to go vegetarian)

Deforestation destroys livelihoods: over 1.5 billion people depend upon the forests for fuel wood, medicinal plants or food. (The World Wide Fund for Nature. 2007. The Bio-DaVersity Code,

http://www.daversitycode.com/earthscope)

Deforestation kills the Earth: tropical rainforests hold half of the Earth‟s plant and animal species. (Vegetarian Society: Why it‟s green to go vegetarian)

Water Scarcity

Much of the world is running out of water. Over 1 billion people

worldwide do not have access to clean water. More than 2 billion

people do not have proper sanitation. The Food and Agriculture

Organisation (FAO) estimates that by 2025 there will be 1.8

billion people living with absolute water scarcity and two thirds of

the World’s population could be living under water stressed

conditions.

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Livestock sector is among the most damaging sectors to the Earth’s scarce water resources.

(UN FAO,

Livestock‟s Long

Shadow, Rome 2006)

Farming accounts for around 70% of all freshwater withdrawn from lakes, waterways, whilst 10% is used for home use and 20% by industry. (Ibid)

Widespread overgrazing disturbs water cycles, reducing replenishment of above and below ground water resources. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

Meat production, particularly feed production consumes large amounts of critically important water resources. (Ibid)

Agricultural production consumes more fresh water than any other human activity (UN FAO, 22nd March 2007. FAO urges action to

cope with increasing water scarcity. Rome. http://tinyurl.com/4nhboq) and demand for water-intensive food items like meat and dairy products is placing increased stress on food production systems. (Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)

and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 2004. Water –

More nutrition per drop.)

The meat and dairy industries are among the biggest contributors to the problem of water scarcity, through both

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over-use and pollution. (Animal Aid: Eating Meat: Wrecking The Planet And Creating A Global

Food Shortage)

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/images/pdf/factfiles/wreck.pdf

On a global basis, the amount of fresh water available per person is falling rapidly. (United Nations Environment Programme 2002, Global Environmental

Outlook)

Land Degradation

Livestock sector is a major cause of wide-scale land degradation. (UN FAO,

Livestock‟s Long

Shadow, Rome 2006)

About 70% of all grazing land

in dry areas is considered degraded, mostly because of overgrazing, compaction and erosion caused by rearing of animals for their meat. (Ibid)

According to DEFRA, with 6% of the soil in England and Wales now at high to very high risk of erosion, and much more land vulnerable to significant off-farm effects, organic farming is of immense importance to the UK‟s soil protection objectives. (Ibid)

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Water Pollution

Livestock sector is a major cause of water pollution. It is the largest sectoral source of water pollutants. (UN FAO,

Livestock‟s Long

Shadow, Rome 2006)

The major polluting agents are animal wastes, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and the pesticides used to spray feed crops. (Ibid)

Animal waste severely harms river and stream ecosystems. Once pollutants, including nitrogen, phosphorus, antibiotics and pesticides, reach the waterways they cause a great deal of damage to aquatic and human life. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

More than 2 billion tons of animal manure were produced worldwide during the late 1990s. Assuming an average nitrogen content of around 5%, this makes 100 million tons of nitrogen finding its way into our water systems. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

In the Gulf of Mexico, pollutants in animal waste have contributed to a “dead zone” where there is not enough oxygen to support aquatic life. During the Summer of

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2004, this dead zone extended to over 5,800 square miles, and in the Summer 2007, to nearly 7,903 square miles. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

(NOAA and Louisiana Scientists Predict Largest Gulf of Mexico “Dead

Zone” on Record This Summer http://tinyurl.com/5atfov)

In the UK an estimated £2.3 billion is spent every year cleaning up the ecosystem as a result of intensive farming practices. (Ibid)

Loss of Biodiversity

Livestock sector affects biodiversity in many direct and indirect ways. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

The sheer quantity of animals being raised for human consumption is a threat to the Earth's biodiversity. (Ibid)

The land area that livestock occupies (30% of the Earth’s land surface) was once habitat for wildlife. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

Livestock are estimated to be the main inland source of phosphorous and nitrogen contamination of the South China Sea, contributing to biodiversity loss in marine ecosystems. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

Tropical forests hold half of the world’s species which are becoming extinct at an alarming rate due to deforestation for meat production. (Ibid)

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53% of global fishmeal production is used by the livestock sector for feed which is seriously affecting the world’s fish population. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

Carbon Dioxide is causing ocean acidification which is affecting the reproduction and survival of fish, shellfish, plankton and corals. (WWF - http://tinyurl.com/4jrf8x)

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates that species loss today is 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than the expected natural extinction rate. IUCN 2007 “Species extinction”

World Hunger

Livestock Sector is a major contributor to world hunger.

According to UN Food & Agriculture Organisation the total world grain in 2007 was 2.1 billion tons, distributed as follows:

o Biofuel – 100 million tons o Livestock – 760 million tons o Humans – 1 billion tons o Mixed – the rest

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Livestock consume 77 million tons of protein contained in feedstuff that could potentially be used for human nutrition. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

There are 963 million people hungry in the world (more than the populations of USA, Canada and the European Union). (World Food Programme Hunger Stats http://beta.wfp.org/hunger-stats)

The 760 million tons of grain feeding animals now could cover the global food deficit 14 times over. (George Monbiot, The Guardian, 15 April 2008)

Hunger and poverty claim 25,000 lives every day, a child dies every 5 seconds due to hunger. Diverting the critically needed grain from cattle to humans would ensure the world‟s hungry get their share of food. (UN FAO, The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2006)

Livestock consume more edible human protein than they produce. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

90% of the world’s soybean serves as animal fodder not human food. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

World Food Programme officials say 33 countries in Asia and Africa face political instability as the urban poor struggle to feed their families. (The Big Question: Is changing our diet the key to resolving the global food

crisis? The Independent, 16 April 2008)

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Going vegetarian is an easy way to lower our own environmental impact and help ensure worldwide food security. (Goodland, R. 1997. Environmental sustainability in agriculture: diet

matters. Ecological Economics. 23, 189-200; Carlsson-Kanyama, A. 1998.

Climate change and dietary choices, how can emission of greenhouse gases

from food consumption be reduced? Food Policy. 23, 277-293; White, T.

2000. Diet and the distribution of environmental impact. Ecological

Economics. 34,145-153)

World Watch Institute states that human hunger for meat is the real unleashed force behind all main types of environmental damage now threatening the future of mankind: deforestation, erosion, water shortage, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, communities upset and the wide spreading of illnesses.

In 2007-2008, rising food prices led to food riots in over 11 countries and caused one government to be overthrown. (Food Riots Begin: Will You Go Vegetarian? Wired Science, 21 April 2008)

Land & Water Use

33% of the global arable land is used for producing feed for livestock. (UN FAO,

Livestock‟s Long

Shadow, Rome 2006)

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30% of the Earth‟s entire land surface – a massive 70% of all agricultural land - is used for livestock production. (UN FAO, Livestock‟s Long Shadow, Rome 2006)

On the same amount of land needed to produce one kilo of meat, 200 kg of tomatoes or 160 kg of potatoes could be harvested in the same time span. (World Watch Institute – WW Paper 171)

Water required to produce a kilo of beef vary from 13,000 litres (Un FAO, 22nd March 2007. FAO urges action to cope with

increasing water scarcity. http://tinyurl.com/4nhboq) right up to 100,000 litres (Pimentel, D., et al 1997. Water Resources: Agriculture,

the Environment, and Society. Bioscience. 47 (2), 97-106). Water required to produce a kilo of wheat is somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 litres. (Stockholm International Water

Institute, International Water Management Institute, Chalmers, and

Stockholm Environment Institute 2008, “Saving Water from Field to Fork”,

May 2008)

One could shower every day for a year with the same amount of water needed to produce one kilo of meat. (World Watch Institute – WW Magazine, Vol 17)

It has been calculated that someone living on a vegetarian diet in the UK requires less than half the area of land to grow their food than someone following a conventional diet with meat. (Vegetarian Society: Why it‟s green to go vegetarian)

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Health

Meat, dairy, eggs (animal protein) are strongly linked to high blood cholesterol levels which is a predictor of heart disease and many cancers. (China Study 2004,

T. Colin Campbell,

Ph.D., The China

Study, the most

comprehensive research on health and nutrition with human subjects in

history, conducted collaboratively by Cornell University, Oxford University,

and the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine)

When intake of plant foods is increased, blood cholesterol levels go down. (Ibid)

Type I diabetes, a devastating disease that strikes young children, is strongly linked to cow‟s milk consumption and premature weaning. (Ibid)

Cow’s milk is deficient in iron and linked in some studies to an increase in childhood-onset diabetes. (Ibid)

Many studies have consistently shown that dairy intake is linked to prostate cancer.

(Ibid)

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Protein from animal-based foods, has been linked to heart disease, various cancers, kidney stones, and gout and bone problems. (World Watch Institute / China Study 2004)

Women consuming diets high in animal-based protein produce greater amounts of reproductive hormones, which are linked to higher rates of breast cancer. (China Study 2004, T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., The China Study, the most

comprehensive research on health and nutrition with human subjects in

history, conducted collaboratively by Cornell University, Oxford University,

and the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine)

Diets high in animal protein have been shown to exacerbate the formation of kidney stones and draw calcium out of the bones, encouraging osteoporosis. (Ibid)

Eating large quantities of red meat can increase the risk of bowel cancer by producing substances in the gut that damage DNA. (Possible mechanism for the link between red meat and bowel cancer 2006,

The Medical Research Council (MRC) Dunn Human Nutrition Unit in

Cambridge, The Open University Department of Chemistry in Milton

Keynes)

Each year 35,000 people in Britain are diagnosed with bowel cancer, and 16,000 of them die. One million cases occur each year worldwide. (Colin Blakemore, Chief Exec. Medical Research Council)

Scientific evidence shows that dairy products have no benefits which are not better obtainable elsewhere, and that their consumption poses major risks that contribute

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to morbidity and mortality. (Goodland R., The Westernization of Diets - The Assessment of Impacts in

Developing countries - with special reference to China, DRAFT, 2001)

“No chemical carcinogen is nearly so important in causing human cancer as animal protein.” (Dr Colin Campbell, chief US investigator of the China Study)

The World Cancer Research Fund recommends reducing the consumption of red and processed meats in its 2007 report, stating that they are a convincing cause of colorectal cancer. (World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer

Research 2007 “Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of

Cancer: a global perspective” http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/)

It has been estimated that in the USA between $29 billion and $61 billion was spent in healthcare in 1992 linked to meat consumption. Costs would likely have been higher if stroke and other arterial disease had been studied as well. (Barnard N D, Nicholson A, and Howard J L 1995 “The medical costs

attributable to meat consumption”, Preventive Medicine, November 1995

http://tinyurl.com/ct9ff8)

In the UK, diet-related ill health accounts for £6 billion in additional NHS costs alone each year. (Rayner M and Scarborough P (2005) The burden of food related ill health in

the UK, Journal of Epidemiology and CommunityHealth, 59, 1054–7)

30-40% of cancers, 17-22% of coronary heart diseases and 24-66% of diabetes can be prevented by strongly decreasing consumption of saturated fats (found in animal products such as meat, especially red meat, eggs and dairy products) and increasing physical activity. (Gardner G., Halwell B., “Underfed and Overfed: The Global Epidemic of

Malnutrition”, World Watch Institute Paper 150, March 2000)

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In the UK, around 70,000 fewer people would die prematurely each year if diets matched the nutritional guidelines on fruit and vegetable consumption, and saturated fat, added sugar and salt intake. (Strategy Unit 2008, Food: An analysis of the issues)

The Rt. Hon Clare Short MP has said, “Over the last half-century, agriculture has been transformed through the intensive use of agrochemicals. The inputs have helped to increase food production, but the cost has been high - unacceptable health and environmental damage.” (Rt. Hon Clare Short MP (2003) Foreword, Silent invaders: pesticides,

livelihoods and women‟s health. Jacobs M & Dinham B (Eds.). Zed Books,

London & New York. p. viii – x.)

The American Dietetic Association and Dieticians of Canada have reported that vegetarians show lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer. (American Dietetic Association position paper on vegetarian diets, June

2003 http://tinyurl.com/3aartp)

A 30-year study has demonstrated that coronary atherosclerosis can be reversed through comprehensive lifestyle changes, including a vegetarian diet; and more recently, a randomized controlled trial showed that comprehensive lifestyle changes may stop or reverse the progression of prostate cancer. (Ornish D et al. 1998 “Intensive lifestyle changes for reversal of coronary

heart disease: Five-year follow-up of the Lifestyle Heart Trial”, Journal of

the American Medical Association. 1998; 280: 2001-2007,

http://tinyurl.com/6djlgg, http://tinyurl.com/5at5zs)

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A vegan or vegetarian diet is appropriate for all stages of life, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. (American Dietetic Association position paper on vegetarian diets, June

2003, http://tinyurl.com/3aartp )

Other benefits of a vegetarian diet are cited, such as higher levels of carbohydrates, fibre, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. (Ibid)

Pesticides/Antibiotics

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks pesticide residues among the top three environmental cancer risks.

According to the British Medical Association, pesticide residues are stored in fatty tissues of the body for several years giving rise to neurobehavioural, neurotoxic, carcinogenic, allergic and other immune-regulatory disorders. (BMA 1992, The BMA guide to pesticides, chemicals and health, Report of

the board of science and education)

Antibiotic additives routinely added to animal food to speed animal growth are linked with bacterial resistance in humans to the same or closely related antibiotics. (Professor Vyvyan Howard, University of Liverpool). Vyvyan Howard MB.

ChB. PhD. FRCPath. Developmental Toxico-Pathology Research Group,

University of Liverpool.)

Studies have indicated that exposure to pesticides either dietarily or occupationally may influence sperm quality. (Jensen TK, Giwercman A, Carlsen E, Scheike T and Skakkebæk NE, 1996,

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„Semen quality among members of organic food associations in Zealand,

Denmark‟, The Lancet 347, June 29, p 1844; Abell A, Ernst E and Bonde

JP, 1994, „High sperm density among members of organic farmers‟

association‟, The Lancet 343, June 11, p 1498; Abell A, Ernst E and Bonde

JP, 2000, „Semen quality and sexual hormones in greenhouse workers‟,

Scandinavian Journal of Work and Environmental Health 26(6), p 492–500)

Average sperm concentrations around the world, in the 50 years until 1990, fell by half and are still falling by around 2 per cent a year. (Auger J, Kuntsmann JM, Czyglik F and Jouannet P, 1995, „Decline in

semen quality among fertile men in Paris during the past 20 years‟, New

England Journal of Medicine 332(5), p 281–285)

Some pesticides are hormone disrupters. (The King‟s Fund, an independent medical charity) (Soil Association, The quality & benefits of organic food

http://tinyurl.com/3h78br)

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Vegetarianism in Religion - Links:

Buddhism Buddhist Resources on Vegetarianism and Animal Welfare http://online.sfsu.edu/~rone/Buddhism/BuddhismAnimalsVegetarian/BuddhistVegetarian.htm

Practising vegetarianism is an essential part of Buddhist teachings while keeping in mind that becoming a vegetarian or vegan can be a gradual path. http://www.shabkar.org/

Christian Vegetarian Association UK (CVAUK)

A meat-free diet has distinct advantages for human health, enables a more just use of environmental resources, and eliminates the suffering of animals bred, raised and killed for food… The adoption of a caring, healthy, violence-free vegetarian diet can be a means of creating a more peaceful society. http://www.cvauk.homecall.co.uk/page2.html

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Vegetarianism is responsible stewardship In Britain alone, it is estimated that there are about four million vegetarians, and there are many reasons why people choose to become a vegetarian, I want to tell you about mine. I have no intention of telling people what they should or should not eat. It is only my intention to bring awareness of all the destruction, cruelty and abuse that is inflicted in this world by our desire to eat meat. It is then up to people to make their own choice as to what they do to help put things right. I don't eat meat in protest against factory farming. I don't eat meat to protest against the thousands of drugs and chemicals they use in today's meat products. I don't eat meat because greedy third world landlords will throw poor tenants off their farms, and sell the land to multinational fast food companies. I don't eat meat in protest at the amount of water needed to produce meat. Millions of people in this world die from the lack of water. I don't eat meat in protest at the amount of rainforest that has been cut down to make grazing land for the fast food industry. I don't eat meat because people in poor countries need to grow grain for the meat trade in western countries. The third world is forced to grow and export food to satisfy our indulgence, while their children die of starvation. I don't eat meat as a protest against all the tonnes of wasted meat that is dumped every year. We use vast areas of land and billions of gallons of water to rear this wasted livestock. The world is short of both of these commodities; we cannot afford to waste them. (In 1996, the EU threw away £213 million of good food - to keep food prices high. This probably goes on every year.) I don't eat fish because the seas have been abused for man's greed. Fish stocks depleted, millions of mammals and

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birds killed in the process. Man has just raped the seas with his advanced equipment like there was no tomorrow. Dave Burrus - Founder Christian Response (Worldwide)

Islam

The late Imam B.A. Hafiz al-Masri, from the Woking Mosque in the United Kingdom, makes a case against factory farming, vivisection, fur, hunting, and other animal abuse using Islamic sources. http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=creatures_of_god&Player=wm (video)

http://www.chai-online.org/en/compassion/islam/heritage_islam_i.htm (document)

Jewish Vegetarians of North America The way animals are treated on farms today violates Jewish teachings… Becoming vegetarians is the best thing we can do for the environment. http://www.jewishveg.com/jv.html

The documentary “A Sacred Duty: Applying Jewish Values to Help Heal the World,” has been produced by the Jewish Vegetarians of North America. It can be seen online at www.ASacredDuty.com and complimentary copies can be obtained from the same website or by contacting the president@JewishVeg.com.

Quotes from famous Jewish vegetarians http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/rabbinicveg.html

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Animal Cruelty in Factory Farming

Pigs:

http://tinyurl.com/bdtsxh

Poultry:

http://tinyurl.com/ardzhd

Cows:

http://tinyurl.com/b65wsg

Turkeys:

http://tinyurl.com/adspe8

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What Some of our Scientists and Politicians Say

Please eat less meat; meat is a very carbon intensive commodity ...

Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman, IPCC

“The single action that a person can take to reduce carbon emissions is vegetarianism.”

“… the things that individuals can do are helpful, and one of the most helpful is actually a vegetarian diet, produces much less greenhouse gasses than a meat diet.”

Dr. James Hansen, Top World Climatologist, NASA

“The best solution would be for us all to become vegetarians.”

Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of UN Framework Committee on Climate Change

“I would advocate getting off of the meat diet, that it really is not sustainable.”

Dr. Jonathan Patz, Professor of Env. Studies, University of Wisconsin – Madison

“We have to reduce the meat consumption and one way of doing it is of course that a larger amount of what we eat is vegetarian and everything else other than meat.”

Erik Solheim, Env. & Dev. Minister, Norway

Probably the biggest step a person could take is to reduce the consumption of meat and other animal products. And if

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you really want to become climate-friendly, well then you should become vegetarian and stop eating meat totally. But also, we should be active in politics and in organizations, and make sure that our governments and political parties do what they have to do, and that is not to subsidize the meat industry, promote vegetarian food, for instance.”

Jens Holm, MEP, Sweden

“Unless we change our food choices nothing else matters because it is meat that is destroying most of our forests, it is meat that pollutes the waters, it is meat that is creating disease which leads to all our money being diverted to hospitals, so it’s the first choice for anybody who wants to save the earth.”

Maneka Gandhi, Parliamentarian & former Environment Minister, India

And in the Past ...

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” Albert Einstein “While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered beasts, how can we expect any ideal conditions on this Earth?”

George Bernard Shaw

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“Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all human evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages.”

Thomas Edison, Inventor

“Auschwitz begins wherever someone looks at a slaughterhouse and thinks: they’re only animals.”

Theodor Adorno

“A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.”

Leo Tolstoy