Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake
Since humans have evolved advanced intelligence, we have a higher moral calling. That is why I don't buy the "it's just the food chain" arguments. It is our moral responsibility to treat the animals we consume in a humane way.
The other side of the coin is that we could not support such a large population without cost-effective ranching techniques. This has increased the carrying-capacity of the earth. From a strictly scientific perspective, many people owe their life to the industrial food system.
I found this kind of funny, it came from a Professor at UH (rough quote): "From an evolutionary perspective, humans are the best thing that ever happened to cows".
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Actually we would have a larger world carry capacity if we reduced meat comsumption. Land currently being used for Corn and other cattle feed could be used to produce food for humans. THere is definately marginal land that can be most efficiently used for grazing but the conversion rate of plant calories to animal calories is something between 5 and 15 to 1.