Raising Animals for Food is No. 1 Cause of Global Warming
For the next five days, we are going to present you with fun stuff: environmentally-friendly blog posts that we hope will leave compassion as your only dietary option.
As you may have heard, raising animals for food is the number one cause of climate change and its frightening side affects. And that's not just meat production—the waste from which contaminates land, air, and waterways.
Egg and dairy farms (which often rely on feeding animals to other farmed animals—bleh!) also contribute to the destruction of our ecosystem. With deforestation, desertification, and loss of potable water—and with 800 million people affected by famine—I'd say that a little restructuring is in order. And the most powerful tool we have is our very own fork.
Want to know how your diet is affecting the planet? It's as easy as punching your information into our carbon calculator. Then, if you've heard all you needed to hear—or if you just want to get a jump on things—click here and take the Pledge to Be Veg for 30 Days.
Raising Animals for Food is No. 1 Cause of Global Warming
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source for this?
What is the source of the alleged info/report, that raising animals causes the MOST significant amount of global warning? How valid are the studies and models used to make this determination?
I find it hard to believe that cow farts are worse than a diesel engine running dirty...
I like that you mention a carbon calculator, but home heating method ( gas , oil , solar), kind of car, diet and other factors are crucial as well.
- dissenting-opinion
April 20, 2009 8:34PM
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Flawed Science
The so-called science that states that raising animals for food is the #1 cause of climate change is seriously flawed and has not been validated. In the dairy industry the carbon footprint has been reduced by around 46% since 1944 (Cornell University research). There were over 25 million cows in the US in 1944 where today we have around 9 million. Yet OVERALL milk production has increased from 117 billion pounds of milk to 186 billion pounds. These efficiencies should be touted from the housetops. Instead, we place an environmental guilt trip on folks who choose to consume nutritious foods like dairy products? In this country, it is estimated that 75-80% of people are calcium deficient. We need to support the naturally nutrient-rich package of milk and dairy products! Kudos to the farmers and industry folks who have made these efficiencies possible! Now, let's go drink some milk!
- Farmer
April 22, 2009 8:58AM
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Nutritious?
So we're all calcium deficient even though we drink more milk than anyone else? Maybe that 'nutrient rich' cow juice isn't as helpful to our bodies as you think it is. Milk contributes to obesity and osteoporosis. Now, lets go try some soy!
- Clever Pseudonym
April 27, 2009 9:01AM
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More Junk Science Propoganda from PETA
New technologies such as methane digestion and soil sequestration of carbon are reducing the carbon output of livestock operations every day.
However, there has been an increase in the hot air spewing from lunatic organizations like PETA. How much carbon has been wasted drumming up ficticiious facts like this one. How much carbon has been wasted by their advertising? Its a proven fact that cellulose and creates the most methane as your body can't digest it. Hence, vegetarians and vegans release more methane than omnivores.
The biggest producers of green house gas are actually Industry, Automibiles, and Coal power. Volcanoes put out more carbon than livestock.
The most abundant greenhouse gas is water . Maybey PETA should try to eliminate that too.
- eman
April 22, 2009 12:54PM
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