I'm sorry to say that you should look into the types of areas that cattle and sheep and even pigs can be raised. My uncle was a cattle rancher/ farmer. He had no need to clear out his forested areas for his cows. Cows can roam in and among trees easily. Also in those same woods you would find wild berries of many varieties, not to mention wild onion, wild garlic etc...However in the corn fields and hay fields not only is there no shade, but no wild berries, no wild life really except the occasional deer or rabbit. So tell me how exactly would you leave the trees stand and grow your veggies?

Each food source has it's flaws, agriculture has it's pesticides, that cause environmental problems not just in the soil, but in the water and in wildlife and in human life. Cattle ranching has an impact on the environment because of run off from the fertilizer that the cows produce, also with the use of hormones and antibiotics the meat isn't natural and the animal is given medication it doesn't need.

Are most of you here strictly vegans? or are you also environmentalists? Because being a vegan doesn't mean your an environmentalist. Especially if you buy genetically engineered veggies and fruits, and you do not care how much pesticide is used to make it pretty. Do you drive that gas guzzling car? Care what happens to this planet? Or do you think you have done your bit by giving up meat? Get real! It takes much more than saying no to a steak. Someone actually posted that they drive a SUV, don't believe in global warming and basically just don't care about the Earth at all. Why if you don't care about anything did you become a vegan? So you could say "Hey, I gave up meat, why should I do anything more?" How arrogant is that?

If a farmer raises a cow and chickens for his family, and he grows his own veggies and hay for his cows who am I to yell how bad he is? That is his choice. If his morals do not match mine who am I to tell him he is wrong? I am not about to try to impose my moral values on someone else, just like I am not about to bang on your door to shove my religious beliefs down your throat.

So meat eaters anger you, or disgust you or whatever, why? Is it simply because they eat meat? or is it because they just do not have the same morals as you? If someone chooses to have sex before marriage and you choose not to, do you get angry at that person, look down your nose at them? Why what would give you the right?

The point is that your diet doesn't give you the right to pass judgement on others. You did not create this planet, you are not a God or even a higher being therefore who are you to say what is right for others? Next will we hear that we all must have the same eye color and hair color to be accepted?

Freedom of choice is a gift, and not all choices will please everyone. My choice might not be your choice, and your choice not mine, but the difference is, I do not snarl and point my nose in the air like I am better than you because of my choice. I am not a judgmental snob. Can you say the same?

Really think hard and long about why you made your choice to eat what you eat. Then answer honestly do you do more? Do you recycle, compost, by organic, walk when you can instead of drive and if you drive what do you drive?