Is Eating Meat Selfish?

Recently on a public forum I was lambasted for saying that eating animal meat was selfish. I didn’t think much when I initially said it because it is a belief I have held for some time, however the reaction lead me to pause and dissect the choice of my word, how it may have been perceived, and what message I was sincerely trying to convey.

It wasn’t that long ago when I was eating animal meat. Had someone told me it was a selfish act, I probably would have been angered or offended and I would have become defensive of my choice. However if someone took the time to explain to me what they meant, I may have changed my diet sooner.

My goal of this post: a simple explanation.

The dictionary defines selfish as: devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one’s own interests, benefits, or welfare, regardless of others; characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself; placing concern with oneself or one’s own interests above the well-being of others.

I define selfish as: putting your desires before the needs of others. Putting your needs above the needs of others is self-preservation, unless that other is totally dependent on you for survival (like children, pets, etc.).

Here are some statistics from the Rich Roll interview of Keegan Kuhn and Kip Andersen, filmmakers of Cowspiracy:  The Sustainability Secret:

• Animal agriculture is the number one cause of rain forest destruction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, top soil erosion, and climate change.

• Comparison: 100 billion gallons of fresh water are used for fracking causing severe ground water pollution which is a huge environmental safety concern. However 15 trillion gallons a year are used for animal agriculture creating the #1 consumption of water and the #1 cause of water pollution.

• The UN Long Shadow Report tells that animal agriculture is the #1 source of greenhouse gas emissions, more than all global transportation combined.

• Animal agriculture eats 70-80% of the world’s grains that could be otherwise fed to humans. It is estimated that we could feed 12-15 billion people on the grains currently produced. There are currently nearly 7 billion people on Earth.

• For every one person on the planet, there are 10 food animals slaughtered. 70-150 billion living food animals exist on Earth at any given time eating grain, drinking water, urinating, defecating, passing gas, and belching whereby polluting air, land, and sea.

• To create 1 pound of beef in California requires between 1,500 and 5,000 gallons of water. Globally it can require up to 20,000 gallons of water depending on geographic location.

• A cow drinks 30-40 gallons of water every day. Comparatively humans drink about 1 gallon per day. Domestic water use accounts for 5% of total water usage. Animal agriculture accounts for over 50% of all water use in California alone.

• The water required to produce one hamburger is equivalent in water to showering for 6 entire months.

• In factory farms, 2 acres per cow are necessary. Grass-feeding operations require upwards of 20-50 acres per cow. If everyone in America chose to eat grass-fed meat, every square inch of North American land up into Canada and down into South America would be needed to accommodate the animals. Grass-fed cows are transferred and finished on feed lots.

• There are more wild horses in captivity than in the wild due to the grass-feeding cattle industry’s demand for government land use. Wolf, coyote, and buffalo populations are also at risk.

• Pigs are fed and eat more fish than what human beings consume. Trawlers drag huge nets to catch fish. 1 in every 5 animals netted is considered by-catch: dolphin, shark, turtles, whales, and other undesired sea food animals which are ground up and fed to factory farmed animals (pigs, chickens, cows) – animals which would never naturally eat sea food.

“Selfish” is a word that has been thrown around to shame, manipulate, or control others. Being selfish at times is crucial and necessary for self-preservation. Taking a nap, treating oneself to alone time, a bath, or a vacation, splurging on something special, saying “no” to requests, demands, or invitations…these are all at times justifiable. No one likes to be told that their choices or behaviors are selfish. I get that.

If you had a winter coat that I wanted but you didn’t want to give to me and I took it anyway, it would be a selfish act on my part. I might not be a greedy or selfish person in general, but my choice of action and my behavior would demonstrate selfishness.

If a sentient (having the power of perception by the senses; conscious) animal had a body that you wanted to eat and the animal didn’t want to give you its life in order for you to have its body, taking it, I believe, would be a selfish act.

How can I know that an animal doesn’t want to give you its body to eat when I don’t “speak cow” or have never been a cow? Because animals raised for food must be fenced and caged otherwise they would seek freedom (ie: run away). When they are approached with ill-intent, they aim to flee or fight. The animals must be harnessed, prodded, roped, or otherwise forced into slaughter. This can be observed and doesn’t require advanced degrees of study to comprehend.

I have never been a cat (that I recall!) and don’t “speak cat” but I can communicate well enough and pick up on the cues of my cat to understand when she wants to go outside, when she wants to come inside, when she is looking for food, when she wants to snuggle, and when she doesn’t want to be touched. Our alike Reptilian and Paleomammalian (limbic) sections of our brains can relate to one another.

There are many reasons why people eat meat. Some people believe they need meat in their diet to feel or be well. Some people eat meat because that’s what they were taught and shown by their families, and humans have been repeating this for generations. Others eat meat because it’s readily available and relatively cheap. Some eat it simply because they like the taste.

Just because humans have been eating meat for centuries doesn’t mean that we can’t change given the impetus to make different choices. If meat (and dairy and grains) weren’t so heavily subsidized by government, it would not be as inexpensive as it is now. When I ate meat it was because I like the taste of the warm fat, flesh, and seasonings. I get it! It tastes good. But is personal pleasure justifiable when the externalized global consequences are so massive?

We live in a new world with grave environmental concerns. It is commonly understood that our human ancestors were able to evolve and develop the advanced Neomammalian brain (neocortex) region because of the increased consumption of animal protein. Many meat eaters believe that this justifies the continued consumption of meat. Perhaps, though, this development gave rise to a brain only in humans so that we could reason, analyze, and intellectualize ourselves out of the continued consumption of other animals. Maybe eating meat developed within us the capacity to figure out how & why to not eat meat.

Meat eaters and non-meat eaters have been arguing for decades about the nutritional value or dangers of eating meat. Some people believe that there are necessary, essential nutritional elements only obtainable from animal foods. Others believe that no animal foods are necessary for optimal human health.

Some of the most debated micronutrients of concern are:

ALA, EPA & DHA (Omega 3 fatty acids)
Vitamin B12
Vitamin A
Iron
Vitamin D3
Zinc
Calcium
Choline

I’m not going to make a case for or against these micronutrients here as each would require it’s own blog space to do so. You have access to Google and can do your research and form your own opinion on these unresolved arguments.

Some plant-based diet eaters choose to supplement their diets with over-the-counter products and some do not. There are many ways to eat a plant-based diet (McDougall, Forks Over Knives, High-Fruit, Raw Vegan, etc.) and some are more healthful than others. They are not all equal and they require different considerations and adjustments.

The solution to the micronutrients of concern that I have found which works best for me currently is to eat a small, select variety of animal foods very low on the food chain. Over the weekend I may, but not always, consume farm fresh local eggs, organic parmesan or feta cheese, anchovies, or mollusks (scallops, oysters, mussels, and clams which are considered by many to be non-sentient). Many fundamental vegans have taken, do, and will take issue with my choices here, which I understand. During the week I eat a predominantly, if not exclusively, high-fruit, mega-veggie diet, mostly raw. I eat a small amount of nuts. (UPDATE: On January 1, 2015 I choose to adopt a 100% animal-free diet thought I am not vegan.)

I also stay out of the habit of consuming foods and drinks that leach micronutrients from the body. I consume low-to-no soy, whole or refined grains, refined sugar, legumes, alcohol, caffeine (coffee, chocolate), fast food, processed food, fried food, factory farmed eggs, dairy, or meat.

I have no symptoms of nutrient deficiency and since converting to a high-fruit, mega-veggie diet, I’ve not been turned down for blood donation due to low hemoglobin (iron).

Does this mean that any human can be healthy on a plant-based diet?

With education, understanding, and practice I believe that any person wishing to live as gently and compassionately on the planet as possible can thrive on a plant-based diet, with or without supplementation. I do not believe that there are some humans who require animal foods and some humans who do not. I do not believe we are that different from one another.

We all share one planet. The animal food industry practices are destroying our collective natural resources at an alarming rate and contributing to climate change which threatens the safety and survival of all global citizens and life. Continuing to destroy the planet to simply satisfy our gastronomic desires, not needs, is selfish because it continues to take away from others (life, freedom, safety, health, and food) that they do not wish to forfeit.

I can’t think of one reason why one person’s desire, not requirement, to eat bacon, burgers, or wings overrides another person’s need to drink clean water. Meat is optional. Water is not.

Is there anything inherently wrong with being selfish? That’s for you to decide for yourself and behave accordingly. Ultimately, eating meat is a personal moral decision.

Additional Resources

• The Easiest Food Formula to Follow

• Can Plant Based Eating Provide Sufficient Protein?

• The Myths & Metaphysics of Protein

• Will You Accept the “Eat to Evolve” Invitation?

• 8 Ways to Invoke Divine Humanity In Yourself With Diet

• 9 Ways Eating Can Become Your New Spiritual Practice

• Why & How to Feed the Divine Feminine in Men & Women