How One Meat-Free Day Helps

How One Meat-Free Day Helps

 I still remember the look of worry on my parents’ faces when I told them I was becoming a vegetarian¹ in high school. “But what will you eat?” they asked, utterly² confounded at the prospect³ of a life sans meat. These days, vegetarianism⁴ is a much more accepted and understood practice, and my parents and many other former skeptics now embrace the versatility⁵ of beans and soy.

In fact, there’s an increasing popular movement supporting the prospect of going vegetarian, even if only for a day. Meatless Mondays encourages Americans to give up meat at least one day each week. (Preferably Mondays, since people have more success beginning their weeks with a goal.) Some still balk⁶ at the idea of a meal without beef or chicken, but going meatless for even one day can cause hugely positive environmental, physical, and financial changes. With so many benefits at stake, everyone should consider giving meat the heave-ho on Mondays.

Why Go Meatless?

Meatless Mondays, a joint⁷ effort by The Mondays Campaign and the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, was started in 2003 with one goal: to lower everyone’s meat consumption by 15 percent. That sounds like a small aspiration⁸, until you consider that the average American eats almost 200 pounds of meat, fish, and poultry⁹ in just one year. We get way more protein than we need on average as well—about 110 to 112 grams per day (a 2,000-calorie diet needs only about 50 grams), the majority of which comes from animal products.

Livestock¹⁰: One of the Worst Environmental Offenders¹¹

The United States is not alone in its meat excess; meat consumption has gone up worldwide, putting a heavy burden on the environment. A groundbreaking report from the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization in 2006 revealed some startling statistics about the meat industry’s environmental effects—namely, that the industry is a leading cause of water pollution, biodiversity loss (30 percent of the earth’s land not covered by ice is used for livestock), and rising greenhouse gases. In fact, livestock is responsible for 18 percent of the global warming effect. By that number alone, livestock produces more harmful gases than every country’s transportation industry combined does. But a more recent report published by the Worldwatch Institute estimates that livestock produces over 50 percent of manmade greenhouse gases.

It also takes a ton of resources to maintain the livestock. A 1991 report created for the Water Education Foundation says that it takes 615.9 gallons of water to produce just 4 ounces of ground beef. Chicken requires less (165 gallons), but a serving of tofu only takes 60.5 gallons. An egg, also a good serving of protein and fat, needs 62.7 gallons of water. According to the Meatless Mondays Web site, it takes 40 calories of fossil fuel energy to create 1 calorie of livestock beef, whereas the same amount of plant-based protein requires only 2.2 fossil fuel calories. Clearly, meat-based diets necessitate¹² a great deal of our energy and resources.

Too Many Hamburgers Lead to Health Problems

This global love affair with meat affects our public health as well. Obesity¹³ is on the rise all over the world, especially in the United States, and meat-heavy (and therefore saturated¹⁴-fat-heavy) meals certainly factor into that. A 2009 study published in Diabetologia found a correlation¹⁵ between processed- and red-meat consumption and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes¹⁶. Processed and red meats have been linked to higher cancer risks as well. A 2007 study jointly¹⁷ conducted by the National Institute of Health and the AARP showed that eating red and processed meats increases the chance of colon¹⁸ and lung cancers. The results also suggested that eating too much red meat could raise chances of esophagus and liver cancers.

Fortunately, even changing your diet a little is enough to make a difference physically¹⁹. Recently, researchers at Harvard University had volunteers add more polyunsaturated fats (vegetable oils, nuts, etc.) to their diets in lieu of meat, full-fat dairy, and other primary sources of saturated fat. Their risk of coronary heart disease went down by as much as 19 percent when they ate more polyunsaturated fats. Even increasing the amount by as little as 5 percent yielded a 10 percent decrease in heart disease risk.

All That Meat’s Not Free, You Know

Not only is heavy meat consumption costly²⁰ to the environment and to our physical health, it hurts our wallets, too. Because meat is expensive to produce, it’s expensive to eat, too. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor²¹ Statistics’ food price data for June 2010, it costs consumers $3.51 for a pound of beef on average. Chicken’s not much better at $3.32 for one pound, especially when compared to dried beans, which cost only $1.34 per pound. Beans are an excellent source of protein, fiber²², and other essential nutrients²³. They’re one of the healthiest staples²⁴ you can get for your buck²⁵.

Even if you don’t spend a lot on meat, you end up paying for others’ excessive consumption by way of medical care costs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that we spent around $147 million in 2008 on obesity-related issues. From 2007 to 2009, the number of obese²⁶ individuals in the United States rose by 2.4 million. While obesity is not solely²⁷ caused by eating meat, eating too much of it definitely contributes to the problem. Even eating less meat than average would help—a 2005 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that “semi-vegetarians” were less likely to be overweight or obese than omnivores.

Increasingly, companies and schools in cities all over the world are embracing Meatless Mondays in one way or another. For instance, meat hasn’t been on the Monday cafeteria menu in Baltimore public schools since 2009. That same year, Ghent, Belgium, became the first city in the world to enact²⁸ Veggiedag (Veggie Day) each week on Thursday. In April 2010, San Francisco made Meatless Monday an official resolution. And perhaps in the future, more countries will follow Israel in its country-wide declaration of meat-free days.

Only time will tell what the effects of this fairly new initiative will be. But considering how current meat consumption trends are affecting our well-being²⁹ and our world, any meals that we choose to make meatless any day of the week could only help.

1 vegetarian   

n.素食者；adj.素食的

参考例句：

• She got used gradually to the vegetarian diet.她逐渐习惯吃素食。
• I didn't realize you were a vegetarian.我不知道你是个素食者。

2 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

3 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

4 vegetarianism   

n.素食，素食主义

参考例句：

• More and more people are believing in vegetarianism and diet for health. 而今越来越多的人们相信素食和节食有利于身体健康。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She is an exponent of vegetarianism. 她是一个素食主义的倡导者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 versatility   

n.多才多艺，多样性，多功能

参考例句：

• Versatility is another of your strong points,but don't overdo it by having too many irons in the fire.你还有一个长处是多才多艺，但不要揽事太多而太露锋芒。
• This versatility comes from a dual weather influence.这种多样性是由于双重的气候影响而形成的。

6 balk   

n.大方木料；v.妨碍；不愿前进或从事某事

参考例句：

• We get strong indications that his agent would balk at that request.我们得到的强烈暗示是他的经纪人会回避那个要求。
• He shored up the wall with a thick balk of wood.他用一根粗大的木头把墙撑住。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 aspiration   

n.志向，志趣抱负；渴望；(语)送气音；吸出

参考例句：

• Man's aspiration should be as lofty as the stars.人的志气应当象天上的星星那么高。
• Young Addison had a strong aspiration to be an inventor.年幼的爱迪生渴望成为一名发明家。

9 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

10 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

11 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

12 necessitate   

v.使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Your proposal would necessitate changing our plans.你的提议可能使我们的计划必须变更。
• The conversion will necessitate the complete rebuilding of the interior.转变就必需完善内部重建。

13 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

14 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

15 correlation   

n.相互关系，相关，关连

参考例句：

• The second group of measurements had a high correlation with the first.第二组测量数据与第一组高度相关。
• A high correlation exists in America between education and economic position.教育和经济地位在美国有极密切的关系。

16 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

17 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

18 colon   

n.冒号，结肠，直肠

参考例句：

• Here,too,the colon must be followed by a dash.这里也是一样，应当在冒号后加破折号。
• The colon is the locus of a large concentration of bacteria.结肠是大浓度的细菌所在地。

19 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

20 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

21 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

22 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

23 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 staples   

n.（某国的）主要产品( staple的名词复数 )；钉书钉；U 形钉；主要部份v.用钉书钉钉住( staple的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The anvil onto which the staples are pressed was not assemble correctly. 订书机上的铁砧安装错位。 来自辞典例句
• I'm trying to make an analysis of the staples of his talk. 我在试行分析他的谈话的要旨。 来自辞典例句

25 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

26 obese   

adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的

参考例句：

• The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。
• Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

27 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

28 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

29 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。