Unfortunately, the practice of large scale industrial agriculture (factory farming) has made meat cheap in richer nations, particularly the United States. This has created an insatiable appetite for meat, and the false idea that meat needs to be eaten at every meal. Before WWII, Americans actually ate a lot less meat, and meat like chicken was reserved for a Sunday family dinner. Turkey or ham would have been reserved for a holiday dinner. At that time, meat came from small family farms were animals grazed, eating grass. This was the animals' natural diet, which means the animals did NOT produce much methane gas. Once factory farming became the norm in America, the price of meat went down, and people began to consumer more meat: more often and in larger quantities. The advent of fast food made even more "meat" products (meat served in fast food products are often mixed with fillers like soy, and flavored/dyed with caramel --- sugar explaining the increase in obesity and diabetes) cheaper and accessible in less time, increasing the demand for even more meat. Today, the demand for meat, driven by fast food and cheap prices (Dollar Menus??), resulting from large-scale factory farming has resulted in a number of problems for planet and people. For the planet, raising THOUSANDS of heads of livestock requires LOTS of cheap feed and produces LOTS of waste. Animals are fed genetically modified/genetically engineered soy or corn, which has been sprayed with herbicides and pesticides. Neither soy nor corn are part of an animal's natural diet, resulting in the animals producing lots of methane gas and nitrogen-rich waste. The nitrogen-rich waste solids and ammonia-rich waste liquids not only poisons local water supplies, but, under the right conditions, can actually explode. Animals kept in over-crowded conditions without access to proper nutrition or fresh, outdoor air are prone to illness. They are often kept in their own waste. For this reason, animals are given antibiotics. Out of sheer greed, animals like chickens and turkeys are pumped full of growth hormones to make them reach larger sizes sooner. Dairy cows are given hormones to make them produce 5 extra gallons of milk per day. These antibiotics and hormones make their way to the humans who eat animal products, causing health problems and rendering current antibiotics ineffective, allowing for the development of "super bugs" (bacteria that are antibiotic-resistant). On an economic level, the factory farms only profit large corporations, paying their workers very little, and subjecting animals to inhumane treatment. If one consumes meat, do so responsibly: eat less meat, and make sure it comes from small family farms that raise their livestock humanely and organically, ensuring animals get their natural diet. In regard to seafood, opt for sustainably caught seafood from areas with responsibly maintained fisheries. For instance, pollock, cod, and wild-caught salmon from Alaska and the North Atlantic are usually a safe bet. AVOID seafood that is farm raised, which is often fed GMO soy --- definitely NOT a fish's natural diet), and seafood coming from countries that do NOT practice sustainable fishing or allow for commercial fishing operations, often using large drag netsl.
