Guest guest Posted April 3, 2002 Report Share Posted April 3, 2002 Hi, everyone! In case some of y'all aren't familiar with the work and fact-finding of John Robbins and his book, " Diet for a New America " , I thought I'd forward on the message below, which was sent by a friend of mine. Take care, Shoshana >Tue, 2 Apr 2002 10:48:44 -0800 (PST) >j n l n b n l <treemangos >From Diet for a New America >Shoshana Bella Billik <shoshana > >The following facts are from the book Diet for a New >America, by John >Robbins: > >World Hunger > >Number of human beings who could be fed by the grain >and soybeans >eaten by U.S. livestock: 1,300,000,000 > >Percentage of corn grown in United States eaten by >human beings: 20 >Percentage of corn grown in United States eaten by >livestock: 80 > >Percentage of oats grown in United States eaten by >livestock: 95 > >Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through >livestock: 90 > >Percentage of carbohydrate wasted by cycling grain >through livestock: >99 > >Percentage of dietary fiber wasted by cycling grain >through >livestock: 100 > >How frequently a child dies of starvation: Every 2 >seconds > >Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on 1 acre of >land: 20,000 > >Pounds of beef that can be produced on 1 acre of land: >165 > >Percentage of U.S. agricultural land used to produce >beef: 56 > >Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce 1 pound >of feedlot >beef: 16 > >Pounds of protein fed to chickens to produce 1 pound >of protein as >chicken flesh: 5 pounds > >Pounds of protein fed to hogs to produce 1 pound of >protein as hog >flesh: 7.5 pounds > >Number of children who starve to death every day: >40,000 > >Number of pure vegetarians who can be fed on the >amount of land >needed to feed 1 person consuming meat-based diet: 20 > >Number of people who will starve to death this year: >60,000,000 > >Number of people who could be adequately fed by the >grain saved if >Americans reduced their intake of meat by 10%: >60,000,000 > >Topsoil Depletion > >Historic cause of demise of many great civilizations: >Topsoil >depletion > >Percentage of original U.S. topsoil lost to date: 75 > >Amount of U.S. cropland lost each year to soil >erosion: 4,000,000 >acres, the size of Connecticut > >Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly associated >with livestock >raising: 85 > >Number of acres of U.S. forest which have been cleared >to create >cropland to produce a meat-centred diet: 260,000,000 > >How often an acre of U.S. trees disappears: Every 8 >seconds > >Amount of trees spared per year by each individual who >switches to >pure vegetarian diet: 1 acre >Rainforest Destruction > >A driving force behind the destruction of the tropical >rainforests: >American meat habit > >Amount of meat imported annually by U.S. from Costa >Rica, El >Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras and Panama: >200,000,000 >pounds > >Amount of meat eaten by average person in Costa Rica, >El Salvador, >Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama: Less than >average >American housecat >Current rate of species extinction due to destruction >of tropical >rainforests and related habitats: 1,000/year > >Energy, True Cost > >Length of time the world's petroleum reserves would >last if all human >beings ate meat-centered diets: 13 years > >Length of time the world's petroleum reserves would >last if all human >beings ate a vegetarian diet: 260 years > >Principal reason for U.S. military intervention in >Persian Gulf: >Dependence on foreign oil > >Barrels of oil imported daily by U.S.: 6,800,000 > >Percentage of energy return (as food energy per fossil >energy >expended) of most energy efficient factory farming of >meat: 34.5% > >Percentage of energy return (as food energy per fossil >energy >expended) of least energy efficient plant food: 32.8% > >Pounds of soybeans produced by the amount of fossil >fuel needed to >produce 1 pound of feedlot beef: 40 > >Percentage of raw materials consumed in U.S. for all >purposes >presently consumed to produce current meat-centred >diet: 33 > >Percentage of raw materials consumed in U.S. for all >purposes needed >to produce fully vegetarian diet: 2 > >User of more than half of all water used for all >purposes in the >United States: Livestock production > >Quantity of water used in the production of the >average cow >sufficient to: Float a destroyer > >Water needed to produce 1 pound of wheat: 25 gallons > >Water needed to reduce 1 pound of meat: 2,500 gallons > >Cost of common hamburger meat if water used by meat >industry was not >subsidized by U.S. taxpayers: $35/pound > >Current cost for pound of protein from wheat: $1.50 > >Current cost for pound of protein from beefsteak: >$15.40 > >Cost for pound of protein from beefsteak if U.S. >taxpayers ceased >subsidizing meat industry's use of water: $89 > >Feedlot Sewage > >Production of excrement by total U.S. human >population: 12,000 >pounds/second > >Production of excrement by U.S. livestock: 250,000 >pounds/second > >Sewage systems in U.S. cities: Common > >Sewage systems in U.S. feedlots: Nil > >Amount of waste produced annually by U.S. livestock in >confinement >operations which is not recycled: 1 billion tons > >Relative concentration of feedlot wastes compared to >raw domestic >sewage: Ten to several hundred times more highly >concentrated > >Where feedlot waste often ends up: In our water ************************************************************ * Shoshana Bella Billik * shoshana * * --- * billiksh * * http://www.billik.com/shoshana/ * sbillik * ************************************************************ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 3, 2002 Report Share Posted April 3, 2002 In a message dated 4/3/02 2:09:45 AM Eastern Standard Time, shoshana writes: Hi, everyone! In case some of y'all aren't familiar with the work and fact-finding of John Robbins and his book, "Diet for a New America", I thought I'd forward on the message below, which was sent by a friend of mine. Take care, Shoshana The information from "Diet For a New America" is fabulous -- although a lot of it is outdated. John Robbins wrote the "Food Revolution" last year which is more comprehensive than the first book and contains more updated information. Check out John's site at foodrevolution.com There are some excellent articles there. Anyone interested in coming to the April 9th EarthSave planning meeting (information posted a few days ago) can join EarthSave ($35 individual membership) and receive a copy of the "Food Revolution" for free. I hope to see you at the meeting at the Picadilly Circus at 7pm. Caryn Hartglass Executive Director, EarthSave International 1509 Seabright Ave., Suite B-1 Santa Cruz, CA 95062 tel: 831.423.0293, 800.362-3648 caryn http://earthsave.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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