I recently did some research on our diets and the effect that our excessive "lust of the flesh" has on the world food supply and the environment.

• Pounds of edible product that can be produced on an acre of prime land: Apples 20,000; Carrots 30,000; Potatoes 40,000; Tomatoes 50,000; Beef 250

• The number of gallons of water needed to produce one pound of edible product: Apples 49; Carrots 33; Potatoes 24; Tomatoes 23; Beef 2,500

Resources used in the production of livestock:

• 33% of world’s fish catch
  
• 38% of the world’s grain harvest
  
• 50% of all the water used in the US
  
• 60% of Brazil’s grain harvest
  
• 70% of US grain harvest
  
• 80% of US corn harvest
  
• Almost half of all energy expended in US agriculture

• The drinking water in nearly every midwestern city south of Chicago is contaminated with agricultural weed killers.

• Meat, poultry and dairy products contain the major source of pesticide residues in the western diet.
• 95% of human exposure to the potent carcinogen dioxin comes from consuming meat, poultry and dairy.
• The EPA issued more than 1,000 warnings against eating fish from chemically-contaminated waters in 1994.
• Nearly half of all fish sampled by Consumers Union was contaminated with bacterial from human or animal feces.
• 99% of US non-vegetarian mothers’ milk has significant levels of DDT.
• Only 8% of US vegetarian mothers’ milk has significant levels of DDT.

• 5 million children in the US go hungry every month.
• Approximately 40,000 people die each day worldwide due to hunger or hunger-related causes.
• If Americans reduced their intake of meat by merely 10%, 100,000,000 people could be fed using the land, water and energy that would be freed up from growing livestock feed.
• 10 billion people could be sustained from present croplands if all ate a vegetarian diet.
• If everyone in the world cut their meat consumption to reduce their fat intake to the 30% level, there would be enough grain to feed the world’s population increases through the year 2000 (to present).

EarthSave International

The Sheep and the Goats

Matthew 25:31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...25&version=NIV


FOOD FOR THOUGHT!