The Sierra Club, The Green Life Jan 4, 2009 http://sierraclub.typepad.com/
The statistics say it all:
Livestock production generates almost 20 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than the entire transportation sector. If Americans reduced meat consumption by just 20 percent, it would be as though we all switched from a sedan to a hybrid. (New York Times)
Animal factory farms pollute U.S. waterways more than all other industrial sources combined. And you’d save more water by refraining from eating a pound of beef than you would by not showering for an entire year. (E – The Environmental Magazine)
Producing 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of beef emits more carbon dioxide than does going for a three-hour drive while leaving all the lights on at home. (The Guardian)
Those who can’t cut out meat entirely might decide to be carnivorous on only one or two days of the week.
Filed under: Food
Eating sustainably grown meat, does not contribute to the greenhouse gases like the mainstream, industrial meat market. Each local!
I’ve got to agree with Kristina on this one. These alarming statistics are all based on petroleum-fertilized, corn fed, factory farm beef.
We are lucky to have local options for grass-fed beef instead. No factory farms, no cows made to eat corn through un-natural chemistry. Plain, grass-fed, low fat, healthy beef. A bit more expensive, which may contribute to some reduction of consumption, but there’s no guilt attendant with it. Those statistics don’t apply – but it requires the sacrifice of a few more dollars.