OK, so, I thought I'd weigh in here as a zoo who just ate a couple of hot dogs for dinner. So here's my unsolicited opinion.
Meat consumption is healthy, in moderation. But the fact of the matter is that, in the US and in other developed countries, our meat consumption is not sustainable and contributes significantly to global warming.
More people switching to plant-based diets could help to halt climate change
time.com
^incidentally, Time tends to skew conservative, so I hope this is a reputable enough source for everyone to agree upon.
Not only that, but while eating meat itself, I believe, can be done in an ethical, responsible, and respectful manner, the modern factory farm industry is... well, it's an ethical nightmare, on every single front you can imagine, from the torture of the animals, to the effect on our environment, to the exploitation of poor people, to the fact that it's literally a breeding ground epidemics such as swine flu. No matter how you slice it, the meat industry is a travesty, and for the bulk of us, eating meat sustains that terrible industry into perpetuity, and it's destroying the fucking world.
Further, most of the meat we eat in America is highly processed, and therefore carcinogenic. These hot dogs I just ate could give me cancer in the end. Bacon, sweet, wonderful bacon, is just fat and cancer.
At the very least, we westerners have a moral imperative to eat less meat, because regardless of how you feel about animals -- which should be a consideration if your a zoo -- our meat consumption is not sustainable.
The tricky part is that meat -- and in particular processed meat -- is more affordable than a lot of other options. If you factor in time as a currency, it's a lot cheaper to get a 4 for $4 meal at Wendy's than it is to get $8 Impossible Whopper.
I'm a chubby guy. Cute, but chubby. My meat consumption and sedentary lifestyle in front of a computer are prime factors in that. This year, I'm going to cut back on my meat consumption -- for my health, for my concern about animals, for my concern about our environment, and because I'm an anti-capitalist pig what hates corporate exploitation.
If you're a proud meat eater ---- whatever. OK. But it may be worth your consideration to cut back on your meat intake, because regardless of how you morally justify it as a natural part of our diet, the way we consume it and the amount we consume are anything but natural.