Letter to Earth Fest
UT Conference Center
600 Henley Street
Knoxville, TN 37996
Dear Ms. Wilt, I was extremely disappointed to see not just one, but two
different vendors selling meat at this year's Earth Fest event at Concord Park.
For people who are enlightened about the environmental devastation caused by meat
production, I think that having meat available for purchase at an environmental
event must have been confusing, at least. For those unaware, a chance to educate
was lost. As a vegetarian, I am aware of the tremendous impact that meat production
has not only on the environment, but also human health, world hunger, and the
welfare of animals killed for their flesh. Since Earth Fest is organized for the
purpose of raising awareness of environmental issues (isn't it?), I will concentrate
on these facts. Sources for these facts can be found at
<http://www.vegnow.com/>www.vegnow.com.
The meat industry causes more water pollution in the US than any other
industry. A typical pig factory farm generates raw waste equivalent to that of
a city of 12,000 people - we only need to look to our neighbors next door in North
Carolina to see the devastation that pig farms there are now causing.
Of all agricultural land in the US, 87 percent is used to raise animals
for food. Twenty thousand pounds of potatoes can be grown on one acre of land,
but only 165 pounds of beef can be produced in the same space.
Raising animals for food consumes more than half of all the water used
in the US. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat, but only
25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat.
Fifty-five square feet rain forests are consumed for every quarter-pound
fast-food burger made of rain-forest beef.
Raising animals for food requires more than one-third of all raw materials
and fossil fuels used in the US. Producing a single hamburger patty uses enough
fossil fuel to drive a small car 20 miles and enough water for 17 showers!
Next year, please don't have meat at Earth Fest! Even those who are dead-set
against making the vegetarian switch can go without eating meat long enough to
enjoy a day of earth-friendly activities. Serving meat at Earth Fest is, in my
opinion, as counterproductive as collecting recyclable cans and then throwing
them in the trash. I was happy that you allowed the Vegetarian Society to have
a presence at Earth Fest and that vegetarian food was available. I hope that the
Vegetarian Society and other vegetarian (or vegan) food vendors will always be
there at Earth Fest for those of us who are doing the best thing we can for the
environment - giving up meat
!
Thank you,
Cindy McDaniel
