| "It's one of the top two or three most significant | | | | become extinct. |
| contributors to the most serious environmental | | | | Those are the worst possible scenarios, but they are |
| problems, at every scale from local to global." That's | | | | real, and your diet may be part of the problem. |
| what a United Nations report concluded in 2006 when | | | | How eating less meat will slow climate change |
| evaluating meat consumption worldwide. | | | | Of all of the green living changes you could make to |
| In North America, we love our meat-whether it's a lazy | | | | your life, eating less meat (and dairy) may have the |
| summer barbecue or a regular meat and potatoes | | | | biggest bang for your buck-it's more effective than |
| meal. But if you're looking for a high-impact green living | | | | buying food locally, eating organic, or driving a hybrid |
| idea, you should consider eating less meat since it can | | | | car. But why is this? Let me explain: |
| have a greater impact on your carbon footprint (for | | | | - Deforestation: Raising animals for meat results in the |
| the good!) than switching from a gas-guzzler to a | | | | levelling of huge swaths of forests around the world. It |
| hybrid car. | | | | is estimated that 55 acres of rainforest is required to |
| As the greatest environmental threat of our time, | | | | produce one meal composed of meat protein (John |
| climate change is one we can't ignore, and your eating | | | | Robbins, author of The Food Revolution). Trees are a |
| habits have an impact on this problem unrivaled by | | | | major carbon sink (not to mention their many other |
| nearly all other sources of greenhouse gas emissions. | | | | environmental benefits), so cutting them down reduces |
| Climate change, as you've likely heard, is a serious | | | | the planet's ability to absorb carbon dioxide. |
| environmental problem with many repercussions, and | | | | - Agricultural greenhouse gas emissions: Eighty percent |
| humans are the ones causing the problem. If we don't | | | | of all grain products grown in the US are used to feed |
| slow climate change, we could be facing devastating | | | | livestock. Conventional farming methods involve large |
| consequences: | | | | doses of petroleum-based chemicals (fertilizers and |
| - Air pollution, hotter than average weather and | | | | pesticides) as well as the operation of heavy |
| extreme weather events will negatively affect human | | | | machinery which burns a proportionately large amount |
| health and could accelerate the spread of | | | | of fuel, emitting a lot of carbon dioxide. |
| vector-borne diseases. | | | | - Enteric fermentation: As ruminating animals (cows, |
| - An increase in droughts, floods, and severe storms | | | | sheep, goats, and buffalo) naturally digest their food, |
| will lead to crop failures and shortages in fresh water | | | | they produce a potent greenhouse gas: methane, |
| supplies. | | | | which is more than 20 times more effective at |
| - Glaciers will melt more rapidly, causing rising sea | | | | trapping heat in our atmosphere than carbon dioxide. |
| levels which will lead to land loss and the displacement | | | | According to the UN's Food and Agriculture |
| of millions of people. | | | | Organization, eating meat is responsible for 37% of |
| - Temperatures will increase more rapidly than plants | | | | methane, 9% of all carbon dioxide, and 65% of nitrous |
| and animals can adapt, causing numerous species to | | | | oxide-all of which are greenhouse gases. |