| Technology is rapidly emerging that will | | | | replicated from the plant world (iron |
| allow scientists to grow artificial meat | | | | from plants is molecularly different |
| for human consumption. Yes, this will be | | | | than iron from meats). But with prenatal |
| just like meat at a molecular level, | | | | nutrition, it's doubly important to have |
| except it won't come from an animal. It | | | | organic, free-range meat that's not |
| will come from a factory where it was | | | | contaminated with pesticides and heavy |
| grown cell by cell on a lattice | | | | metals. |
| structure using some advanced | | | | Meat consumption harms the planet |
| technology. This article is about the | | | | There are tremendous implications |
| implications about such technology in | | | | resulting from the mass consumption of |
| terms of society, public health, ethical | | | | meat products by the American |
| treatment of animals, and other such | | | | population, such as the fact that it |
| topics. But let me begin it by saying up | | | | takes 10 times as much land to create |
| front that I cautiously support the | | | | meat protein as it does similar |
| artificial growing of meat for a number | | | | quantities of protein from vegetables. |
| of (possibly surprising) reasons that I | | | | We're also seeing the clear-cutting of |
| will detail here. | | | | rain forests, in the Amazon especially, |
| First of all, let me state that my diet | | | | in order to create grazing land for |
| currently consists of very little meat. | | | | cattle. |
| I don't believe in eating animals for | | | | The decision to eat meat is not a solely |
| their flesh. I don't believe in raising | | | | personal decision. It doesn't just |
| animals and slaughtering them just | | | | affect you. It actually affects the |
| because their muscle tissue is something | | | | planet. The more meat you consume, the |
| I want to consume casually at a Friday | | | | more land is used for meat raising and |
| barbecue. I think it's highly unethical | | | | harvesting. In the case of the Amazon |
| to treat animals as life-support systems | | | | rainforest, it means there's less land |
| for meat, which is really the way most | | | | available to support natural rain forest |
| people look at a cow -- it's just there | | | | habitat, which is, of course, important |
| to support the growth of the meat. | | | | for the oxygen production of the entire |
| There's no consideration whatsoever for | | | | planet. So, in a very understandable |
| the experience of the cow which is, of | | | | way, the mass consumption of red meat |
| course, a living, breathing being with a | | | | around this planet actually affects the |
| consciousness. Cows have memory, | | | | climate of the planet. Global climate |
| emotions and even their own family | | | | change is one side effects of massive |
| members. I don't think it is appropriate | | | | meat consumption. |
| in any advanced civilization to be | | | | If we were to switch over to a system of |
| raising and slaughtering animals to | | | | generating artificial meat, then the |
| consume their meat. It's a rather | | | | climate effect of this meat production |
| barbaric practice. | | | | would be drastically reduced. There |
| That's one reason why I support the | | | | still may be some industrial runoff or |
| artificial meat idea, because if we can | | | | some kind of post-production chemicals |
| create meat and make it available to | | | | that need to be dealt with after |
| consumers without having to kill animals | | | | creating artificial meat, but |
| in the process, then we are in fact | | | | undoubtedly these would be far less |
| doing far less harm to the world. We're | | | | harmful to the planet than the |
| causing less suffering. We are not | | | | clear-cutting of rain forest, injecting |
| putting these animals through the | | | | cows with hormones and antibiotics and |
| experience of being enslaved in a system | | | | raising crops with pesticides so that |
| with the sole purpose of turning their | | | | cows can be fed in a very inefficient |
| body into a food source and, ultimately, | | | | food production system. |
| a profit source. Let's face it -- that's | | | | So artificial meat, even though it may |
| what cattle ranching and pig farming and | | | | sound strange, could actually be better |
| chicken farming is today. It's a system | | | | for the planet if people continue to |
| of exploiting the lives of these animals | | | | consume meat. Now what would be best for |
| in order to make a profit. So if | | | | the planet -- and actually best for the |
| artificial meat can replace that, that's | | | | health of individuals, families and |
| an important benefit. Let consumers eat | | | | entire nations -- would be of course to |
| meat without having to kill animals. | | | | move away from a meat-centered diet. If |
| Health implications of artificial meat | | | | we could get people to eat half the meat |
| The second reason I am strongly in | | | | they currently consume, we would see far |
| support of artificial meat is because I | | | | lower rates of heart disease, all |
| believe that this artificial meat will | | | | varieties of cancers, and less obesity |
| actually be healthier for people than | | | | as well. Even though the long-term |
| commercially grown and produced meat, | | | | solution is to move to a plant-based |
| because commercially produced meat comes | | | | diet, as a civilization, a short-term |
| from cows that are subjected to an | | | | solution could include artificial meat. |
| assault of various chemicals. They are | | | | Many benefits from a plant-based diet |
| injected with antibiotics and hormones; | | | | I have probably eaten more than my share |
| they are fed grain that's been sprayed | | | | of meat for my entire life already. When |
| with pesticides and sometimes grown in | | | | I was growing up, my grandfather was a |
| soils laced with heavy metals. There are | | | | cattle rancher, so we got all the free |
| Polychlorinated Biphenyls, rocket fuel, | | | | meat we ever wanted and I ate meat |
| and all kinds of other contaminants | | | | constantly. I have now mostly given up |
| found in the fat cells of animals that | | | | meat (and red meat entirely), but I |
| have been raised for food. | | | | don't believe in aggressively pushing |
| So, if you take a cow, pig or chicken | | | | vegetarianism onto others. I simply have |
| and you look at the way it's treated in | | | | arrived at the obvious conclusion that |
| a commercial ranching or farming | | | | there's nothing better for the human |
| environment, you'll find that it's a | | | | body, mind and spirit than food based on |
| very unhealthy food source, because it | | | | plants. |
| has consumed and concentrated all of | | | | If you eat nothing but a plant-based |
| these toxic chemicals. When a human | | | | diet, you will be far healthier than if |
| being consumes that meat, those toxic | | | | you were to introduce any amount of meat |
| chemicals are ingested into that human's | | | | into your diet. All the information out |
| body, where they function as | | | | there about people having nutritional |
| cancer-causing chemicals, liver-damaging | | | | deficiencies on a vegetarian diet is |
| or hormone-disrupting chemicals. By | | | | misguided and flat-out wrong. Unless, of |
| utilizing artificial meat you can | | | | course, for people are living on what I |
| consume meat that, even though it's | | | | call a "junk food vegetarian diet," |
| synthetic and based on chemicals, at | | | | which is soda, chips and vegetarian |
| least won't have the concentration of | | | | processed food. Of course that diet |
| heavy metals, pesticides, antibiotics | | | | causes nutritional deficiencies. But not |
| and all these other terrible chemicals | | | | a health-minded vegetarian diet. Even |
| that cows are forced to consume. | | | | vitamin B12 is simple to get in |
| Artificial meat could end up being | | | | sufficient quantities if you put your |
| healthier for people than real meat. | | | | mind to it. |
| Before you think I've gone crazy, let me | | | | As a society, we can exist quite |
| explain a little further. No meat, in my | | | | comfortably on a plant-based diet. We |
| opinion, is actually healthy if consumed | | | | can get everything we need in terms of |
| in large quantities. There are a number | | | | nutrition -- including essential oils, |
| of reasons for that, including the fact | | | | vitamins, minerals and the like -- on a |
| that meat has no fiber. It putrefies in | | | | plant-based diet. We do not need meat to |
| the digestive tract and is strongly | | | | survive as a civilization. In fact, I |
| correlated with the onset of pancreatic | | | | believe that the mass consumption of |
| cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and | | | | meat devolves our society, because it |
| bladder cancer. We know meat isn't good | | | | makes us more angry and aggressive. It |
| for you in the quantities consumed by | | | | makes us less humane and is an |
| Americans today. I'm not saying that | | | | uncivilized way to use the resources of |
| artificial meat will be good for you, | | | | the planet to support the human |
| either, but it won't be as bad for you | | | | population, whereas consuming and |
| as commercially raised meat. | | | | surviving on plants is an evolved and |
| The other point here is that there is | | | | intelligent way to feed the planet. If |
| such a thing as healthy, live meat from | | | | you consume mostly raw foods, then you |
| free-range animals. If you take an | | | | also get outstanding nutrition. Cooking |
| animal from a natural environment, fed | | | | food destroys much of its nutritional |
| raw plants, raw grasses, live foods, | | | | content -- not only the proteins, but |
| without it being subjected to | | | | also the vitamins and the phytonutrients |
| antibiotics and hormones or inhumane | | | | that make plants such a potent nutrition |
| methods of slaughter, that meat will be | | | | source in the first place. |
| much healthier for you than | | | | If you can avoid cooking some of these |
| traditionally raised beef. Still, | | | | foods, and subsist at least partially on |
| there's no denying that this is a | | | | a live foods diet -- as I have been |
| terrible experience for the animal. The | | | | doing now for some time -- you find that |
| animal is still being killed and eaten. | | | | you need a lot less food, get much |
| This is not the kind of experience that | | | | better nutrition, and don't really need |
| any of us would wish to endure, and yet | | | | any meat. That includes even very active |
| we require this of other animals so that | | | | lifestyles like my own, which involve |
| we may feed ourselves in a mindless way | | | | strength training, Pilates, lots of |
| the foods that we prefer to consume. | | | | running, martial arts and cycling. |
| To summarize, the least healthy meat of | | | | The bottom line is that I am a cautious |
| all is commercially raised meat -- | | | | supporter of this idea of artificial |
| non-organic, non-free range, factory | | | | meat production because of the |
| meat products. Healthier than that would | | | | practicalities involved. People will |
| be of course free-range meat, | | | | continue to consume meat on the planet |
| kosher-certified meat, and along the | | | | for the time being. If that is the case, |
| lines of similar health would be | | | | then I believe that we are much better |
| artificial meat. None of these meats, as | | | | off having people consume artificial |
| I have stated, are in fact good for you | | | | meat than tearing the flesh from living, |
| if consumed in large quantities. I | | | | breathing beings and calling that |
| believe that meat is not necessary for | | | | dinner. Artificial meat has my vote even |
| the human diet, except perhaps in the | | | | though, personally, I would never touch |
| case of pregnant women who need extra | | | | it with a fork. I support it only |
| iron and protein. In that case, the meat | | | | because it is a practical alternative to |
| serves as a very high density protein | | | | meat taken from live animals. |
| and iron source that cannot be | | | | |