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"The Benefits of Vegetarianism"

Section I:
Vegetarianism is a dietary discipline that involves the exclusion of animal products in varying degrees from daily life. For instance, vegans are individuals who abstain from using all types of animal products in their daily lives. Generally, vegetarians are a little less extreme, restricting their practice to their food consumption exclusively. Most eat dairy products, some eat seafood and still others eat poultry. Obviously there is a large variation in approach, but it is a personal issue that should be treated as such. There are several benefits to practicing a vegetarian diet of some kind. First, removing animal products from your diet improves your health. Second, it reduces the degree of inhumane treatment of animals by humans. Finally, it preserves our environment.
I would like to learn what percent of the American population identifies themselves as some sort of vegetarian? I am also curious about possible vitamin and mineral deficiencies that could stem from a meat-free diet. Pointers on how to prepare vegetarian compliant meals would also be helpful.
My targeted audience would likely be health-conscious readers and political liberals. Most likely people I attend class with or encounter at the gym. This topic would be interesting to health club patrons because a vegetarian diet is arguably one of the healthiest. It would also appeal to those individuals who have very liberal beliefs, because it addresses issues of animal cruelty and environmental conservation.
Section I-B:
a. UNC Library Catalog
1. "vegetarianism" and "weight" (2)
2. "vegetarianism" and "animal rights" (9)
3. "vegetarianism" and "environment" (0)
4. "vegetarianism" and "conservation" (3)
5. "vegetarianism" and "health" (13)
6. "vegetarianism" and "ecology" (3)
7. "vege?" and "animal rights" (9)
8. "vege?" and "health" (89)
9. "vege?" and " environ?" (282)
10. "vege?" and " environmentalism" (2)
b. Academic Universe Lexis-Nexis
1. "vege!" and "animal rights" (7)
2. "vege!" and "health" (42)
3. "vegetarianism" and "environ!" (0)
4. "diets" and vegetarianism w/p health (0)
c. Google
1. vegetarianism, animal rights (27,600)
2. vegetarianism, environmentalism (2,530)
3. vegetarianism, health (69,800)
4. American vegetarianism, health (35,000)

Section II:
a. 2 print sources from UNC Library
a. Cox, Peter. "You Don't Need Meat". 1st ed. New York: Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press. C 2002. (UL c# RM 236.C683 2002)
b. Farley, Dixie. "Vegetarian diets: the pluses and pitfalls". Rockeville, Md: Department of Health and Human Services; Public Health Service, Food and Drug Administration, 1994. Reprint from FDA Consumer Magazine, 1992, May. (Davis REF Federal Documents c# HE 20.4010/A:V 52/994)
b. Audio/Visual
a. Beyer, John. Carnivore. Prod. by Jeanne Jordan. 30 min. , Iowa Public Television Network, 1976. Videocassette. (HSL Educational Media c# WB 426 VC1 1976).

Section III:
1. Messina, Virginia K. MPH, RD and Kenneth I. Burke, PhD, RD (1997, November) Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. Journal of the American Dietetic Association [Online], 2420 words Available: Expanded Academic [2002, September 12].
2. Ebenkamp, Becky (2002, January 7) Rationing Meat Brandweek [Online], 11 paragraphs. Available: Lexis Nexis [2002, September 10] .
3. Hopey, Don (2002, April 22) Diet for a Small Planet Scripps Howard News Service [Online], 722 words. Available: Lexis Nexis [2002, September 11].
4. Crosby, Louise (2002, July 10) Feed the world with vegetarianism Montreal Gazette [Online], 857 words. Available: Lexis Nexis [2002, September 11].
5. Sundquist, Eric (2002, August 25) Nonhuman Rights: Are animals ours to eat, to wear, to experiment on? The Atlanta Journal and Constitution [Online], 2271 words. Available: Lexis Nexis [2002, September 11].
6. Priestly, Kate (2002, June) Is humane meat an oxymoron? The Alternate Press/Natural Life [Online],1089 words. Available: Lexis Nexis [2002, September 12].

Section IV:
1. Goveg.com
http://www.goveg.com
This is a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) website. It is a self-proclaimed "Vegan, Vegetarian 101" site. How's and why's are addressed. There is even a "starter kit" for converting to a vegetarian lifestyle. Also included are news events relating to animals and animal cruelty so that readers can stay abreast of the latest developments.
Source of Web Site: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
2. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
http://www.pcrm.org
This website is created by an organization of physicians promoting higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research and medical practice. The issue of vegetarianism is addressed as an approach to a healthier lifestyle through diet as. It also promotes the ethical treatment of animals, another issue on their platform.
Source of Web Site: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
3. SATYA
http://www.satyamag.com
This is the website for SATYA magazine. The publication's focus is vegetarianism, environmentalism, animal advocacy and social justice. It provides a variety of articles on the previously mentioned topics but introduces an international context. The electronic archives of their paper publication are available as well as links for activism, events and discussion forums.
Source of Web Site: SATYA Magazine
4. Vegsource
http://www.vegsource.com
Vegsource is a massive website dedicated to addressing all possible needs of a vegetarian lifestyle. Everything from recipes to health facts, environmental updates and social events are listed. It takes less of a political approach than some of the others, but is informative and reliable no less.
Source of Web Site: Vegsource Interacative, Inc.
5. Vegetarianism
http://www.animalalliance.ca/kids/veggiel.htm
Another expansive site, yet more focused on the how's and why's of vegetarianism. Addresses everything from concerns about the potentially negative impact that consuming animal products has on human health to the reverse, being the detrimental affect that the large meat industry has on the quality of life of its animals.
Source of Web Site: Animal Alliance

Section V:
TITLE: Librarians Raise Their Voices
(TOPIC AREA: Net Controversy)
The controversy over internet censoring culminated into a legal battle, Multnomah County v United States of America, when libraries refused to implement the former president Bill Clinton's "Children's Internet Protection Act" (CIPA) stating that they believed the act violated the First Amendment.
CIPA is an act that requires certain public institutions receiving federal funding to install a specific software designed to prevent pornographic material on the internet from being viewed on the browser screen.(1) The primary purpose of the act was to protect unsuspecting children from being able to access the sites while surfing on the internet. (1) Noncompliance with the act would result in a substantial loss of federal funding, a resource heavily depended upon by such public institutions as libraries. (1) The Multnomah County Public Library in Pennsylvania refused to utilize the software, stating that CIPA denied American citizens their First Amendment right to free expression. (2) Other organization like the American Library Association (ALA) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed similar suites resulting in a singular consolidated suite, Multnomah County v United States. The plaintiffs disagreed with the act on five main points. First that it violated the first amendment, second website blocking is erratic and ineffective, third it was passed against the advice of Congress's own experts, fourth web blocking go against the purpose of libraries, and finally it would deepen the "digital divide". (1) On May 31, 2002 a federal court ruled in favor of Multnomah County to strike down CIPA citing the act as unconstitutional.(2) The federal court is appealing the decision, which will be heard by the Supreme Court due to mandatory jurisdiction over issues of this nature. (2)
NOTES:
(1) "CIPA Held Unconstitutional on First Amendment Grounds," Washington Internet Daily, 3 June 2002, v3. no. 106. Also Available [Online] Lexis Nexis [Accessed: 12 September 2002}.
(2) Caruso, David B. "Federal judges throw out law requiring filtering software at libraries," The Associated Press, 31 May 2002, BC cycle. Also Available [Online] Lexis Nexis [Accessed: 11 September 2002].
THREE WEB SITES:
Title of the Web page: Blocking Programs on Trial: Why CIPA is Unconstitutional
Web address: http://www.aclu.org/features/f032001a.html
Brief Description: ACLU's outline of the issue
Source of Web site: The American Civil Liberties Union

Title of the Web page: Children's Internet Protection Act
Web address: http://ftp.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cipa.html
Brief Description: Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau's outline of CIPA
Source of Web site: Federal Communications Commission

Title of Web page: Internet Blocking and Censorware
Web address: http://www.eff.org/Censorship/Ratings_filters_labelling/
Brief Description: Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) website outlining the issues around Internet Blocking and Censorware.
Source of Web site: Electronic Frontier Foundation

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