The growth in world population is exactly what the vegan movement addresses. It is not simply an animal rights argument, but a survival of our species argument as well. It is late and your post was very thoughtful and long--this is a start at a response at least, though.
There are a few main points to consider. First, we have a far greater chance of feeding a growing world population grains than meat (which is a very inefficient way of feeding anyone). Second, meat production degrades the environment and ends up making starvation and ecological damage more severe. Third, Big Meat and Big Agriculture (Monsanto, etc.) want us to believe that only way to deal with the population explosion is with GMO crops and lethal doses of pesticides, but in fact local, sustainable, organic agriculture can be practiced around the world (as it was practiced traditionally) without degrading the land, and has the best chance of feeding everyone. Monsanto's goal, in fact is profits only. It is attempting to take the very basic right to save their own seeds to grow more crops away from farmers worldwide.
So I will post these statistics for your consideration, but also, if you have satellite tv, there is a program on the new public television channel Link (375 on DirecTv, not sure on the others) that explores one of these issues--organic agriculture vs. "conventional" (pesticide) agriculture that I plan to watch, and which I suspect will be very informative:
linktv.com
My Father's Garden
Length: 01:00 Type of program: Documentary
Broadcast Times
Thursday, March 10 12:00 AM
Thursday, March 10 6:00 AM
Thursday, March 10 12:00 PM
An emotionally charged documentary about the use and misuse of technology on the American farm. In less than fifty years the face of agriculture has been utterly transformed by synthetic chemicals which have had a serious impact on the environment and on the health of farm families. This film tells the story of two farmers, different in all details, yet united by their common goal of producing healthy food.
One of the farmers is the father of the filmmaker. Herbert Smith was a hero of his age: dedicated, innovative, a champion of the new miracle sprays of the 50s. His fate is the heart of this film. The other, Fred Kirschenmann of North Dakota, is a hero for our age. Faced with a shattered economy and the devastating environmental effects of conventional chemical farming, Fred steered his land through the transition to organic farming.
Twenty years later, the Kirschenmann farm is a thriving testament to ingenuity, hard work, and a reverent understanding of nature. Fred proves that sustainable agriculture is a viable alternative on any sized farm and that we can bring health and beauty back to the Garden.
I think I posted some of this to you before, but it addresses your points, so I will post it again. I posted so much, perhaps you didn't even really consider this information.
The Facts About Eating Animal Products...
by John Robbins, author of "Diet for a New America" and founder of Earthsave International.
The Hunger Argument:
Number of People worldwide who will die of starvation this year: 60 million
Number of people who could be adequately fed with the grain saved if Americans reduced meat intake by 10%: 60 million
Human beings in America: 243 million
Number of people who could be fed with grain and soybeans now eaten by US livestock: 1.3 billion
Percentage of corn grown in US eaten by people: 20%
Percentage of corn grown in US eaten by livestock: 80%
Percentage of protein wasted by cycling grain through livestock: 90%
Percentage of oats grown in US eaten by livestock: 95%
How frequently a child starves to death: every 2 seconds
Pounds of potatoes that can be grown on an acre: 20,000 lbs
Pounds of beef produced on an acre: 165 lbs
Percentage of US farmland devoted to beef production: 56%
Pounds of grain and soybeans needed to produce 1 pound of feedlot beef: 16 lbs.
The Environmental Argument:
Cause of global warming: greenhouse effect
Primary cause of greenhouse effect: Carbon Dioxide from fossil fuels
Fossil fuels needed to produce a meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 50 times more
Percentage of US topsoil lost to date: 75%
Percentage of US topsoil loss directly related to livestock raising: 85%
Number of acres of US forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million acres
Amount of meat US imports annually from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama: 200,000,000 pounds
Average per capita meat consumption in Costa Rica, El Salveador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama: Less than eaten by average US house cat
Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pounder hamburger: 55 sq. ft.
Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 species extinct per year
The Natural Resources Argument:
User of more than half of all water used for all purposes in the US: Livestock production
Amount of water to produce a pound of wheat: 25 gallons
Amount of water to produce a pound of meat: 2,500 gallons
Cost of common hamburger if water used by meat industry was not subsidized by US taxpayer: $35/pound
Current cost of pound of protein from beefsteak, if water was no longer subsidized: $89
Years the world's known oil reserves will last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13 years
Years the world's known oil reserves will last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260 years
Barrels of oil imported into US daily: 6.8 million
Percentage of fossil fuel energy returned as food energy by most efficient factory farming of meat: 34.5 percent
Percentage returned as food energy from least efficient plant food: 328%
Percentage of raw materials consumed by US to produce present meat-centered diet: 33%
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