Last Updated on August 18, 2022, 11:15 AM AST by Anthony Morris
We all know that food consumption has always played an essential role in the evolution of humans. But there are other areas wherein our foods play an important part as well, One of them being our environment. What we consume does not only shows up in our health but also our environment.
According to studies, meat is bad for mortals but in addition to that, it also gives birth to many problems for the environment.
FIRST, LET’S GO INTO THE HISTORY OF HUMANS and MEAT.
Meat has played a starring role in the evolution of humans. Writings in the 1950s, described humans as “carnivorous creatures, that seized living quarries by violence, battered them to death … slaking their ravenous thirst with the hot blood of victims and greedily devouring livid writhing flesh.”
According to scientists eating meat has played an extremely important role in shaping and evolving humans. By starting to consume calorie-dense meat and marrow instead of the low-quality plant diet of apes, our direct ancestor, Homo erectus, took in enough extra energy at each meal to help fuel a bigger brain.
Not only this, but with their smaller guts it was difficult to digest the meat that they used to eat as meant takes a long time to process and break down in our stomach. Consumption of meat, thus often landed them in trouble because they did not have the proper physical capabilities to digest raw meat.
It usually led to bloating, nausea, and sometimes in extreme cases, even death. But none of these conssequences could stop the early men from consuming meat.
They kept up with the consumption of meats and their body changed accordingly, adapting to their eating habits.
The intestines of the “early men” kept getting bigger and their head smaller. By the time the stone age came, these apes had completely evolved into humans that we know of today and were ready and able to consume meat. And that is how meat has affected human evolution.
Present Scenarios of Meat Consumption
However, change in preferences has had an extremely destructive affect on the environment.
Since people from all over the world eat meat there is huge cultivation and agricultural area which is being consumed for therearing of animals such as hens, cows, pigs and other animals.
These animals are not only being kept in major numbers, but feeding them is likewise making things worse for the environment. A huge amount of food is required to feed these animals, which leads to the overgrazing of lands and in turn lands which could be used for agriculture or food and grain goes to waste.
The lands on which food is being grown to feed these animals become so barren after being repeatedly used that nothing can be be done to this land, thus a large part of land goes to waste.
Further, water is also consumed by these animals which amounts to twice the amount that we humans consume in a year.
Greenhouse gases which include methane are also given out in large quantities from these animals even when they burp. It is a widely known fact these greenhouse gas are playing a huge role in increased global warming and heat production on earth.
Studies have shown that if this goes on then in eight years we would need to leave earth and find another planet to live in.
In the midst of everything, let us not forget how these animals are being tortured for the benefit of their owners. They are forced produce more and more. They are being kept in extremely small places which are overly crowded. Their health is barely a given any concerns.
WHAT IS THE CONDITION NOW
A lot many activists and organisations have raised their voices, kept their opinions forward and have pledged to end this animal cruelty.However, the ever increase in demand for meat does not let this happen.
Many governments have also taken initiatives but none of them have implemented any rules or actions against it.
A movie by the name of okja has perfectly ascertained the reality of slaughterhouses and has turned more than half the world vegan and because of this many people have come to know the truth about animal cruelty.
Many times, human beings crave our short-term cravings which end up creating long-time destructions which we even saw during the pandemic with the outburst of a disease spread through the animals.
However, on the brighter side, a lot of research and discoveries are being made to control this problem. Also a lot of technique has been used to control methane gas production from cattle for example there is a change in their diet where they are being consumed seaweed which reduces the consumption of methane by eighty per cent
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
