Steak Argumentative Essay

Steak is typically viewed as a more expensive meal to most people. I will agree it is expensive, but not necessarily financially. The environmental cost, in my eyes, is where the true threat of this product lies. It is viewed as an upmarket item with only few having access to it. Yet, when we look at the bigger picture, we see that although the item may be viewed as scarce, its source is abundant. Cows are known to be a killer of biodiversity due to their immense amounts of land needed to graze, often at the expense of countless species. Most notably, South America has deforested an area mass equivalent to the size of India in order to provide grazing land for the cattle industry (“Cattle Ranching and Deforestation”). Species that have not

Being a family that grills out every Sunday in the summer, steak is something my family frequently has on our plates. However, the temporary gratification that this gives us is not worth the long lasting effects it will have on Earth. It just seems so stupid in comparison. Consequently, I called my dad that day of the lecture and told him if he would consider buying half or even less of what we usually order for steak for summer barbeques. I was rather surprised with his ease of agreeance. There was probably more financial motivation than “save the planet”, but I consider it a win nonetheless. I am not a big beef eater in general and since I now see the dangerous effects of having these methane-pumpers, I will advocate against it more when it comes to my family. To me, a burger, a steak, or goulash is not worth the aftershocks our planet is facing. I know most will not cut beef out altogether, but it is the little things like not having steak for one meal that have the biggest impacts. Or if people cannot bring themselves to eliminate meat from their diets, trying to buy more meat from cattle that are somewhat local to them can help reduce transportation fossil fuels. Wherever you stand, everyone can make choices that improve the health of our