Although vegetarianism helps keep the animals safe, opposers are worried about the diet not being accepted from the average American. A.G. Sulzberger, publisher for New York Times, writes about his difficulty to find vegetarian meals in the midwest compared to New York City: "’In Nebraska ... vegetarians are sometimes accused of undermining the state economy. The owner of what was billed as the lone vegetarian restaurant in Omaha said it had several pounds of ground beef thrown at its doors shortly after opening. After a short run, it closed’" ("Introduction to Vegetarianism: Current Controversies" par. 8). In the midwest, vegetarians are looked down on because the meat business is such a huge part of the area. The fear in midwestern eyes is that if vegetarianism spreads, the meat industry will lose money due to fewer people eating meat.
Even though vegetarian diets are not accepted, there would be fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Joan Sabate, MD, DrPh, Chair of Nutrition at Loma Linda University, agrees when she writes that the greenhouse gas emissions for vegans and vegetarians were lower than others. Sabate said, “[T]he greenhouse gas emissions for a vegan diet are 41.7 percent lower compared with non-vegetarians; lacto-ovo vegetarians are 27.8 percent lower, pescatarians are 23.8 percent lower, and semi vegetarians are almost 20 percent lower” (Palmer par. 30). The numbers do not lie; the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is exponentially declining for vegetarians. On the contrary, the greenhouse gas emissions are still high for omnivores. According to "A Vegetarian Diet Is More Energy Efficient Than a Meat Diet," the usual American diet produces a ton of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gasses compared to a vegetarian diet, and amounts to one-third of the total greenhouse gas emissions (par. 4, 7-8). One-third of all gas emissions is rooted to the production of the American diet of fast food and meat products. Think about those numbers; if the food production was decreased to plants grown and shipped, the air would be less polluted. The article "Vegetarians Contribute to Global Food Security" says that 18 percent of pollution gases originate from meat production (par. 26). All in all, vegetarians contribute to making the air cleaner by reducing the production of greenhouse gas emissions.
Even though vegetarian diets are not accepted, there would be fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Joan Sabate, MD, DrPh, Chair of Nutrition at Loma Linda University, agrees when she writes that the greenhouse gas emissions for vegans and vegetarians were lower than others. Sabate said, “[T]he greenhouse gas emissions for a vegan diet are 41.7 percent lower compared with non-vegetarians; lacto-ovo vegetarians are 27.8 percent lower, pescatarians are 23.8 percent lower, and semi vegetarians are almost 20 percent lower” (Palmer par. 30). The numbers do not lie; the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is exponentially declining for vegetarians. On the contrary, the greenhouse gas emissions are still high for omnivores. According to "A Vegetarian Diet Is More Energy Efficient Than a Meat Diet," the usual American diet produces a ton of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gasses compared to a vegetarian diet, and amounts to one-third of the total greenhouse gas emissions (par. 4, 7-8). One-third of all gas emissions is rooted to the production of the American diet of fast food and meat products. Think about those numbers; if the food production was decreased to plants grown and shipped, the air would be less polluted. The article "Vegetarians Contribute to Global Food Security" says that 18 percent of pollution gases originate from meat production (par. 26). All in all, vegetarians contribute to making the air cleaner by reducing the production of greenhouse gas emissions.