Is it ethical to eat Meat
Matthew Coelho
Jesse E. Miller
English Composition
11/29/12
The Ethics of Eating Meat A common controversial topic that is debated in many society’s, especially in Europe and North America, is the ethics of consuming meat. There has been a rise in vegetarians, as persuasive journalist and companies such as PETA have introduced their opinion on eating meat and how it is morally wrong. Even with this rise of vegetarians, there is a prediction that the global meat consumption will double by the year of 2020 (Singer). As the need for meat rises, there will be an increase of factory farming, practically an animal torture facility that is a negative contributor to climate change. With the torturing of animals, a negative influence on climate change, and humans having the ability to survive without consuming meat, is it still ethical to consume it? The quick answer is, surprisingly, yes; although, the meat in question has to be different than the factory farmed meat which the majority of Americans consume. Many writers and organizations, such as Peter Singer, are against the use of meat; they argue “that factory farming of animals – also known as CAFOs, or concentrated animal feeding operations – is morally wrong.” (Singer). This belief is correct, as the way they treat the animals is horrendous. The animals spend most of their entire lives restrained inside sheds, not being able to go outside, ever. Their crates are so narrow that they are unable to turn around and barely move. The animals are restricted in this same position for days on end, and become frustrated from this inactivity and end up attacking one another. For chickens that are seen exhibiting aggressive behavior, producers sear off their beaks which have sensitive nerves in them, in an attempt to stop the loss of chickens. “Chickens, reared in sheds that hold 20,000 birds, now are bred to grow so fast that most of them develop leg problems because their immature bones cannot bear the weight of
Jesse E. Miller
English Composition
11/29/12
The Ethics of Eating Meat A common controversial topic that is debated in many society’s, especially in Europe and North America, is the ethics of consuming meat. There has been a rise in vegetarians, as persuasive journalist and companies such as PETA have introduced their opinion on eating meat and how it is morally wrong. Even with this rise of vegetarians, there is a prediction that the global meat consumption will double by the year of 2020 (Singer). As the need for meat rises, there will be an increase of factory farming, practically an animal torture facility that is a negative contributor to climate change. With the torturing of animals, a negative influence on climate change, and humans having the ability to survive without consuming meat, is it still ethical to consume it? The quick answer is, surprisingly, yes; although, the meat in question has to be different than the factory farmed meat which the majority of Americans consume. Many writers and organizations, such as Peter Singer, are against the use of meat; they argue “that factory farming of animals – also known as CAFOs, or concentrated animal feeding operations – is morally wrong.” (Singer). This belief is correct, as the way they treat the animals is horrendous. The animals spend most of their entire lives restrained inside sheds, not being able to go outside, ever. Their crates are so narrow that they are unable to turn around and barely move. The animals are restricted in this same position for days on end, and become frustrated from this inactivity and end up attacking one another. For chickens that are seen exhibiting aggressive behavior, producers sear off their beaks which have sensitive nerves in them, in an attempt to stop the loss of chickens. “Chickens, reared in sheds that hold 20,000 birds, now are bred to grow so fast that most of them develop leg problems because their immature bones cannot bear the weight of