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this washed up in r mailbox and we'd like 2 share:
the facts speak 4 themselves...
RESOURCE UTILIZATION
Pounds of grain and soy used to produce 1 pound of food from beef:16
Amount of corn grown in US consumed by livestock: 80%
Amount of total US grain production consumed by livestock: 70%
# of people who will die as a result of malnutrition and starvation this year: 20,000,000
# of people who could be fed using the land, water and energy that would be freed up from growing livestock feed if Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: 100,000,000
Activity that accounts for more than half of all water consumed for all purposes in the US: Livestock production
in California the number of gallons of water needed to produce 1 edible pound of wheat:25 beef: 5214
Energy expended to produce one pound of grain fed beef: equivalent to one gallon of gasoline
ENVIRONMENT
Amount of US topsoil lost from cropland, pasture, rangeland and forest land directly associated with raising livestock: 85%
Activity that has destroyed more rainforest in Central America than any other: Cattle ranching
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests and related habitats: 1,000/year
Production of excrement by US agriculture, including runoff of soil, pesticides, and manure: Greater than all municipal and industrial sources combined
HEALTH
Average training in nutrition received during 4 years of medical school by US physicians: 2.5 hours
Most common cause of death in US: Heart disease
Leading sources of saturated fat and cholesterol in American diets: Meat, dairy products and eggs
Cholesterol found in all grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds: None
Increased risk of breast cancer for woman who eat meat daily compared to less than one a week: 3.8 times higher
Diseases linked to excess animal protein consumption: Osteoporosis and kidney disease
Number of cases of osteoporosis and kidney disease in the US: ten million
The average measurable bone loss of female meat-eaters at age 65: 35%
The average measurable bone loss of female vegetarians at age 65: 18%
FOOD CONTAMINATION
Amount of US non-vegetarian mothers milk with significant levels of DDT: 99%
Amount of US vegetarian mothers milk with significant levels of DDT: 8%
Amount total antibiotics used in US that are fed to livestock: 55%
Response by entire European Economic Community to the routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: Ban
Response by American meat and pharmaceutical industries to the routine feeding of antibiotics to livestock: Full and complete support
Amount of US livestock and poultry receiving drugs during their lifetime: 80%
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