[GJM] Considering the over population problem, what about raising beef and other meat products.?

[mary rose]

Since we are considering the reduction of the human population through reducing the number of births, let's take a look at the number of cattle in the world and where they are located, since they are now considered to be the number one contributor in the world  to global warming, surpassing the automobile.  This is due to the emission of methane.  Should we not consider eliminating cattle before we consider eliminating members of the human family, whether of present or future generations?    
One of the things not mentioned here is that it takes approximately 3200 gallons of water to get 1 pound of beef to market. So, not only is it inefficient to funnel grain through cattle in order to produce food, it is a highly inefficient use of water as well.  Far more people could be fed were grain fed directly to people. We also need to consider that cattle-raising for beef production is the largest contributor to the destruction of rainforests, the lungs of the earth.  

Then we must also consider the number of cattle in India and their religious significance.      
Cattle
>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. They are raised as livestock for meat (called beef and veal), dairy products (milk), leather and as draft animals (pulling carts, plows and the like). In some countries, such as India, they are honored in religious ceremonies and revered. It is estimated that there are 1.3 billion cattle in the world today.[1] In terms of food intake by humans, consumption of cattle is less efficient than of grain or vegetables with regard to land use, and hence cattle grazing consumes more acreage than such other agricultural production;[2] this factor was not important in earlier times prior to the Earth's large human population.[3]
The world cattle population is estimated to be about 1.3 billion head. India is the nation with the largest number of cattle, about 400 million, followed by Brazil and China, with about 150 million each, and the United States, with about 100 million. Africa has about 200 million head of cattle, many of which are herded in traditional ways and serve partly as tokens of their owner's wealth. Europe has about 130 million head of cattle (CT 2006, SC 2006).

Cattle today are the basis of a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. The international trade in beef for 2000 was over $30 billion and represented only 23 percent of world beef production. (Clay 2004). The production of milk, which is also made into cheese, butter, yogurt, and other dairy products, is comparable in economic size to beef production and provides an important part of the food supply for many of the world's people. Cattle hides, used for leather to make shoes and clothing, are another widespread product. Cattle remain broadly used as draft animals in many developing countries, such as India.

Cattle in Hindu tradition

The cow is a symbol wealth, strength, abundance, selfless giving and a full Earthly life.]]Cows are venerated within the Hindu religion of India. According to Vedic scripture they are to be treated with the same respect 'as one's mother' because of the milk they provide; "The cow is my mother. The bull is my sire.".<ref>Mahabharata, Book 13-Anusasana Parva, Section LXXVI. They appear in numerous stories from the Puranas and Vedas, for example the deity Krishna is brought up in a family of cowherders, and given the name Govinda (protector of the cows). Also Shiva is traditionally said to ride on the back of a bull named Nandi. Bulls in particular are seen as a symbolic emblem of selfless duty and religion. In ancient rural India every household had a few cows which provided a constant supply of milk and a few bulls that helped as draft animals. Many Hindus feel that at least it was economically wise to keep cattle for thier milk rather than consume their flesh for one single meal. 

Gandhi explains his feelings about cow protection as follows: 

  "The cow to me means the entire sub-human world, extending man's sympathies beyond his own species. Man through the cow is enjoined to realize his identity with all that lives. Why the ancient rishis selected the cow for apotheosis is obvious to me. The cow in India was the best comparison; she was the giver of plenty. Not only did she give milk, but she also made agriculture possible. The cow is a poem of pity; one reads pity in the gentle animal. She is the second mother to millions of mankind. Protection of the cow means protection of the whole dumb creation of God. The appeal of the lower order of creation is all the more forceful because it is speechless." 
 
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