Meat: The Forgotten Contributor To Global Warming

As a meat-eater, it pains me to write this, but it appears that the meat industry is not just a contributor to global warming, but a major contributor. Larger, in fact, than the global transportation sector.

That's right. I put my ham sandwich down in shock as well as I read this disturbing news.

According to a 2006 United Nations report, livestock represents 18 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.  It's not just the energy needed to grow the grain, feed it to the cows, wait for them to mature and then kill them... it's the more mundane things.

For example, manure lagoons. Yes, the name conjures all sorts of unpleasant images, but the truth is that there are literally acres of animal excrement that do nothing but send vast quantities of nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.

Livestock 'emissions' account for nine percent of carbon dioxide, 65 percent of nitrous oxide and 37 percent of methane of all human-related greenhouse gas emissions. They also generate 64 percent of ammonia created, contributing to acid rain.

Whilst it may be a change that many of us aren't willing to make, it has been revealed at the University of Chicago that if you were to switch to a vegan diet (the thought terrifies me as well), you would make a bigger change to the environment than if you bought a Prius.

This of course prompted Rajendra Pachauri, the head of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to suggest that people give up meat for one week to alleviate the current pressure on the environment. Of course, he's a vegetarian...

It's not just the emission factor though.

Livestock rearing currently uses a massive 30 percent of the Earth's land surface, with even more land needed to produce feed. It is estimated that 70 percent of the Amazon rainforest that has been cleared has been used for grazing.

With global meat production projected to more than double from 229 million tonnes in 1999/2001 levels to 465 million metric tonnes by 2050 and milk output growing from 580 to 1043 million metric tons, it is clear to see the potential for change.

Makes you question whether you really want steak for dinner, doesn't it?

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