From Ecopedia

Overview

Vegetarianism is defined as the observation and practice of a diet consisting primarily of vegetables, fruits, grains, and various other types of foods other than meat. Vegetarians do not consume any form of meat, nor do they consume products derived from animal-slaughter including gelatin. Dairy products and eggs may or may not be consumed in a vegetarian diet.

A primary reason for people to practice vegetarianism is the vast health benefits that come along with avoiding meat, including

- lower blood pressure

- lower cholesterol

- Reduces risk of heart disease by 50%

- Strengthens Immune System

- Increased life expectancy

Types

Although there are various types of vegetarian diets, the two most common are a basic vegetarian diet and a vegan diet.

Famous Vegetarians

Many celebrities, such as Natalie Portman, Paul McCartney, Alicia Silverstone, and many more are vegetarians.

Environmental Benefits

In addition to the health benefits, avoiding meat and practicing vegetarianism can be extremely beneficial from an environmental standpoint as well. It is said that one of the best ways to reduce global warming is to stop eating meat, as the production processes involved in producing meat have many harmful byproducts.

Land Conservation

Of course, the benefits of a vegetarian diet save the lives of animals, but much land is also conserved as well. The meat industry mass produces animals, which requires deforestry for animal grazing plains. With a vegetarian diet, up to 70% of the Amazonian Rainforest can be saved from clearance for grazing land, and approximately 3,000 hectares of land would be freed annually.

Reduction of Pollution and Emissions

By reducing or eliminating meat consumption, household emissions and global warming would be reduced drastically as well. From a household perspective, meat takes much longer to cook than those foods in a vegetarian diet, which therefore causes a high usage of gas and electricity, contributing to pollution. It is said that without meat, nearly 2/3 less fossil fuels would be used, and we would eliminate 4.5 tons of emissions per household per year. Additionally, environmental activists have stated that vegetarianism can stop up to 80% of global warming. Lastly, vegetarianism would also reduce pollution from untreated animal waste.

References

http://suprememastertv.com/ http://www.goveg.com/ http://www.peta.org/index.asp