Meat and the Environment
Meat and the
Environment
Raising animals for
food requires massive amounts of land, food, energy, and water and causes
immense animal suffering.
Climate Change
A staggering 51
percent or more of global greenhouse-gas emissions are caused by animal
agriculture, according to a report published by the Worldwatch Institute.
According to the United Nations, a global shift toward a vegan diet is
necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change.
Water Use
It takes an enormous
amount of water to grow crops for animals to eat, clean filthy factory farms,
and give animals water to drink. A single cow used for milk can drink up to 50
gallons of water per day—or twice that amount in hot weather—and it takes 683
gallons of water to produce just 1 gallon of milk. It takes more than 2,400
gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef, while producing 1 pound of tofu
only requires 244 gallons of water. By going vegan, one person can save approximately
219,000 gallons of water a year.
Animals raised for
food in the U.S. produce many times more excrement than does the entire human
population of the country. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), animals on U.S. factory farms produce about 500 million tons of manure
each year. With no animal sewage processing plants, it is most often stored in
waste “lagoons” (which can be seen in aerial views of factory farms) or it gets
sprayed over fields.
Runoff from factory
farms and livestock grazing is one of the leading causes of pollution in our
rivers and lakes. The EPA notes that bacteria and viruses can be carried by the
runoff and that groundwater can be contaminated.
Factory farms
frequently dodge water pollution limits by spraying liquid manure into the air,
creating mists that are carried away by the wind. People who live nearby are
forced to inhale the toxins and pathogens from the sprayed manure. A report by
the California State Senate noted, “Studies have shown that [animal waste]
lagoons emit toxic airborne chemicals that can cause inflammatory, immune,
irritation and neurochemical problems in humans.”
Land Use
Using land to grow
crops for animals is vastly inefficient. It takes almost 20 times less land to
feed someone on a plant-based (vegan) diet than it does to feed a meat-eater
since the crops are consumed directly instead of being used to feed animals.
According to the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification, it takes up to 10 pounds
of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat, and in the United States alone, 56
million acres of land are used to grow feed for animals, while only 4 million
acres are producing plants for humans to eat.
More than 90 percent
of all Amazon rainforest land cleared since 1970 is used for grazing livestock.
In addition, one of the main crops grown in the rainforest is soybeans used for
animal feed. (The soybeans used in most veggie burger, tofu, and soy milk
products sold in the United States are grown right here in the U.S.)
Oceans
While factory farms
are ruining our land, commercial fishing methods such as bottom trawling and
long-lining often clear the ocean floor of all life and destroy coral reefs.
They also kill thousands of dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, and other “bycatch”
animals. Coastal fish farms release feces, antibiotics, parasites, and
non-native fish into sensitive marine ecosystems. In addition, since most
farmed fish are carnivorous, they are fed massive quantities of wild-caught
fish. For example, it takes up to 3 pounds of fish meal to produce every pound
of farmed salmon.
What You Can Do
The good news is that
it’s easier than ever to switch to an Earth-friendly vegan diet. Take
PETA’s pledge to go vegan. You
will likely see an improvement in your health after a month, and your
conscience will be lighter knowing that you are doing your part to help
the environment and animals.
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