Greenpeace

1. To prevent suffering of animals. Ninety-some percent of the animals farmed for meat/eggs/dairy in the US are raised in misery in factory farms.  And, if I am right about the arguments in my last post, we have no right to cause suffering to these animals for our own gain (even if I'm not right about equality between humans and other animals, can anyone seriously think that the suffering of animals counts for nothing?  and if it counts for anything at all, doesn't that amount of suffering serve as a compelling reason to give up something as trivial a culinary habit that can easily be changed?).

2. To benefit the environment. Animal farming is the number one cause of deforestation in the world and has always been so. Deforestation is a problem for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that it is the second greatest cause of atmospheric carbon dioxide, releasing about a quarter of total emissions each year. Also, amusingly but, unfortunately, truly, methane from the flatulance of farm animals is one of the leading environmental pollutants, and methane is more than twenty times as effective as carbon dioxide for trapping heat in the atmosphere. Yes, seriously--you can do a lot to fight global warming by going vegetarian. Furthermore, animal farming results in the deposit of far more excrement than the land can absord onto farmland, resulting in pollution of lakes and rivers and destruction of valuable farmland. And the water used for animal farming (greater quantities than humans consume) is quickly depleting underground water pools which many dry areas rely on.

3. To save energy/money. Plant farming is vastly cheaper and more efficent than animal farming. It produces ten to twenty times the amount of protein per acre, five to ten times the calories per acre, and as much as fifty times the proportion of food calorie output to fossil fuel calorie input. Animals consume many times the amount of food that they yield. Replacing animal food production with plant food production in first world countries alone would yield enough surplus to feed the entire world's population on a healthy diet with room to spare.

4. To protect the poorest people in the world. Animal food consumption in western nations harms the world's poor populations in a variety of ways. Large scale fishing greatly reduces yield of fishers in areas that rely on fish for survival. Deforestation for animal farming (which benefits only western nations and the richest people in third world countries, never the poor population of those countries) causes soil erosion and consequent flooding which is catastrophic for poor rural people, reduces rainfall in those areas which is harmful in a number of ways, makes much needed firewood scarce, etc.

5. To have a healthier diet. There are no nutrients that cannot be obtained from a totally vegan diet, and vegetarian vegan diets are much lower in bad cholesterol and saturated fats. Vegetable protein is also healthier than animal protein, which increases the chances of many chronic diseases including diabetes and several forms of cancer. Studies of longevity and centenarians consistently show that the oldest people usually eat very little, if any, meat. I could go on but the arguments for the greater health of a well managed vegetarian diet are easily found and, I think, the least of the reasons I've given here for being a vegetarian/vegan.

And the only reason not to do this is a selfish desire for the taste of meat. Going totally vegan overnight is difficult, sure, but it isn't all or nothing. It is VERY easy to eat without meat. It is difficult to find a restaurant that doesn't have at least one vegetarian option if you look closely, and most have several (in my experience, there are few if any restaurants which can't serve you something totally vegan). Make a gradual transition if you have to--start by limiting your meat intake, then eliminating it later...start by giving up mammal and bird meats and give up seafood later...stop eating eggs directly even if you can't avoid them in baked goods and deserts...etc.