Truly protecting the planet and ourselves from the problems mentioned in this essay would necessitate a reversion to a hunter/gatherer and nomadic lifestyle (which is what humans are built for in the first place). Take an archeology or anthropology class. Most professors will tell you that we screwed up the planet the moment we invented agriculture. Widespread animal husbandry followed. Agriculture eats at our resources just as much or more than livestock. Of course, cruelty is the main issue when it comes to meat production. How do we raise them? What do we feed them? How are they slaughtered? I’ve got a good idea. If someone wants to eat meat he or she should be required to kill an animal. Then, after understanding what it is to watch an animal die at his or her own hands, that person can either come to terms with or reject the concept of ingesting a once living animal.

Worldwide veganism or vegetarianism is an impossibility (unless the Inuit figure out a way to grow corn in the arctic), but we can be rid of factory farming and slaughterhouses. I say ‘can’ because, although its a possibility, I know it will never happen. Humans are smart, but we’re mindless as a populace. There are also too many of us. Kill two thirds of us and we’ll be okay. Educating people is all we can do… wait, no, we’re fucked there too.

Save the world.