How Veganism can Save the World
Veganism & Pandemics
Overtime, especially now and in recent years, the world has been exposed to the dangers of disease that can be spread zoonotically, meaning from animal to person. We experienced this with the onset of H1N1 or the swine flu epidemic in 2009 and avian/bird flu of 2005 for example. But now we see the same thing happening in regard to Covid-19. It was reported that Covid-19 was started from a bat in one of Wuhan’s wet markets. Individuals would be wise to identify the many benefits our globe could face with switching to a vegan diet.
How Plant Based Diets Can Prevent Future Pandemics
First, switching to a plant-based diet would allow the population to not so heavily depend on animals for protein. Many animals which are available for our consumption are subjected to small cages or general areas. Making this the perfect breeding zone of a zoonotic disease. The banning of animal food markets could help combat this issue.
Animal Farming & Our Immune System
Sadly, many may be unaware of the antibiotics which are pumped into our farm animals we are consuming. Many of the animals we eat are pumped with antibiotics with the hope that they will grow bigger. Bigger cattle, bigger pigs, and bigger chickens equal more profit. This is damaging to our overall immune systems. “While a plant-based diet can’t directly prevent an infection from a zoonotic disease, reducing the consumption of animal-based products can help prevent some of the degenerative diseases that put us at additional risk during a pandemic.”
Slaughter Free Cities
Secondly, proactive steps are being taken to slow down, and in the future get rid of animal slaughterhouses. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and WHO (World Health Organization) the use of slaughterhouses increases the likelihood for a zoonotic pandemic. Getting rid of slaughterhouses could help prevent future pandemics. As well as help combat issues regarding the current climate crisis. “The U.S. population could cut its overall greenhouse gas emissions by two thirds and eliminate millions of deaths per year by transitioning to a plant-based food system, according to an Oxford study published in PNAS.”
Animal Law Attorney
Prime Law Group, LLC’s very own Tracy McGonigle is here to help animals worldwide. Tracy is an attorney and overall animal lover, who’s area of practice lies in appellate, animal law, business, civil litigation, local government, and real estate. If you find yourself needing help with any of the following practice areas, give Tracy a call.
References:
- Joy, Sebastian. “The Role Of Plant-Based Diets in Battling Pandemics: ProVeg Int.” ProVeg International, 22 Apr. 2020, proveg.com/blog/plant-based-diets-in-battling-pandemics/.
- Slaughter Free Chicago, 18 Nov. 2020, slaughterfreechicago.com/.
