The document discusses the various motivations for becoming a vegetarian, including health, environmental, economic and ethical reasons. Health motivations include avoiding chemicals/hormones in meat and reducing risks of chronic diseases. Environmental reasons include conserving water and reducing pollution, deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture. Ethical reasons involve reducing animal suffering and slaughter. Some statistics provided include that 32% of Americans choose a vegetarian diet for health and 15% to avoid hormones/chemicals in meat. [/SUMMARY]

1. Vegetarianism So Fresh, So Green

2. Many Different Motivations In the Western world, the popularity of vegetarianism grew during the 20th century as a result of nutritional, ethical, environmental and economic reasons. http://flickr.com/photos/chocolatemonster/84291444/

3. Most important reason for becoming a vegetarian in the United States, 2002 http://flickr.com/photos/cajie/2425523656/ Health 32% Because of chemicals and hormones in meat products 15% Don't like the taste of meat 13% Love of animals 11%

4. / http://flickr.com/photos/wwworks/2222523486/ TIME/CNN POLL: Reasons for choosing a vegetarian lifestyle Animal rights 10% Religious reasons 6% Concern for the planet 4% To lose weight 3% To reduce hunger and famine worldwide 1%

5. "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." -Albert Einstein Health Benefits

6. Consuming whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables provides protection against chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes http://flickr.com/photos/jow/53534742/

7. The total direct medical costs in the United States attributable to meat consumption have been estimated to be $30-60 billion a year, based upon the higher prevalence of hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, gallstones, obesity and food-borne illness among omnivores compared with vegetarians. (Barnard ND, Nicholson A, and Howard JL. The medical costs attributable to meat consumption. Prev Med 1995;24:646-55.)

8. Vegetarians are at a lesser risk for obesity Western vegetarians have lower BMI (body mass index) and lower cholesterol levels than non-vegetarians Photo by Mike: http://www.flickr.com/photos/squeakymarmot/136634791/sizes/l/in/photostream /

9. Eating more fruits and vegetables puts you at a lower risk for a plethora of chronic diseases, including some types of cancers, hypertension, stroke and Type II Diabetes http://flickr.com/photos/rooona/2852368759/

10. Moral, Human Condition By reducing the amount of meat you consume, you will decrease the number of animals slaughtered. How many animals do you eat in a given year? T h e time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men. ” -Leonardo Da Vinci http://flickr.com/photos/aasgier/489526907/

11. "The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?" -Jeremy Bentham, philosopher http://flickr.com/photos/hthg1983/1519121063/ By reducing the amount of meat you consume, you will reduce animal suffering .

12. "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." -Mahatma Gandhi http://www.flickr.com/photos/igualdadanimal/2637067736/sizes/l/ “ If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.” -Paul McCartney

13. Environmental "We did not weave the web of life; we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things connect.” Chief Seattle Photo by poonomo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ickypoo/764486170/sizes/o/

14. By not eating beef– and other farm animals as well–you: Save massive amounts of water – about 3,000 to 5,000 gallons of water per pound avoided Avoid polluting our streams and rivers and destroying topsoil Avoid destroying tropical forests http://www.flickr.com/photos/shikasta/3454543/sizes/l/

15. Avoid carbon dioxide production (The average car produces 3 kg/day of CO2. To clear rainforest to produce beef for one hamburger produces 75 kg of CO2. Eating one pound of hamburger does the same damage as driving a car for more than three weeks.) Reduce the amount of methane gas produced Reduce the destruction of wildlife habitat Help to save endangered species Steve Boyan PhD, recently retired from his post as a political science professor at University of Maryland http://www.earthsave.org/environment/foodchoices.htm

16. The End! "I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants." — A. Whitney Brown http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickster2000/1319008847/sizes/l/