People
are always shocked to find out that I am a vegan. They claim that they could
“never” give up meat or dairy products. They often seem condescending, asking
me what it would take for me to eat a cheeseburger, or how on earth I’m able to resist cheese pizza.
There are several factors that have led me to veganism. Health and ethical
reasons aside, living a life free of meat and dairy products is actually much
more sustainable on a global scale. Health and ethics are very important to me,
but I feel good making sustainable choices with every meal. This is known as
environmental veganism.
Eating
vegan really does impact the environment. For example, “if one person exchanges
eating meat for a vegan diet, they’ll reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.5
tons per year”.[1] This
significant reduction in carbon footprint is because “livestock farming is
responsible for almost 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions from human-related
activities.”[2] This
is an astonishing portion of all of our greenhouse gases that people are simply
overlooking. Carbon dioxide is released during almost every step of the
livestock farming process. Ecosystems are destroyed when they are cleared to create
land or cattle grazing. Carbon dioxide is also emitted in the process of
transporting animals and the resulting meat products to and from farms, slaughterhouses
and grocery stores. Another large sustainability issue with the meat industry
is the amount of methane that it produces. “Cows and sheep are responsible for
37% of the total methane generated by human activity.”[3]
This is problematic because methane has a significant impact on global warming-
it is actually better at trapping greenhouse gases within the atmosphere than
carbon dioxide is, thus making it a significant threat to our climate.
“Worldwide food production requires
around 30% of the total soil available, 20% of fossil fuel energy and a major
part of the fresh water flow.”[4]
With meat production, most of this land area is going towards growing grains to
feed the animals. It would be much more efficient to simply use that land to
grow crops that could directly feed people.
Food
politics are essentially the politics behind how food gets produced,
distributed and consumed. In our nation, large corporations such as Monsanto,
Tyson’s and ConAgra control disproportionate amounts of the food industry. They
operate ‘factory farms’ in which animals are kept in tiny cages until they are
large enough to be brutally slaughtered. Since they are such large
corporations, they buy out local farms that are unable to compete, and force
the local farmers to revert to factory farming tactics to produce as much meat
as possible. These corporations have gone global, shaping how food is produced
in other countries. They have quietly introduced genetically modified organisms
into the foods of many unknowing or uninformed citizens. Corporate control over
our food industry gives us little agency over what we put in our own bodies.
This is why it is so important to make sustainable choices when it comes to what
you eat.
Rajenda
Pachauri, chair of the UN Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change, said that “diet
change [is] important in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental
problems”.[5]
He is an advocate for giving up meat once a week, to make it more feasible for
those who eat meat-heavy diets. This is reflected in a well-known campaign
started by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) known as Meatless
Mondays. Cutting just a little bit of meat out of your diet each week can
reduce your carbon footprint significantly and allow you to live more
sustainably.
[1]
Veganism & The Environment: By the Numbers: http://livinggreenmag.com/2013/02/13/energy-ecology/veganism-the-environment-by-the-numbers-infographic/
[2] The
Vegetarian Society: https://www.vegsoc.org/reducecarbon
[3] The
Vegetarian Society: https://www.vegsoc.org/reducecarbon
[4] Why
It’s Green to Go Vegetarian: http://www.vegsoc.org/document.doc?id=524
[5]
Climate Change and Meat Consumption: http://www.happycow.net/blog/climate-change-and-meat-consumption/
Great post! I was also surprised when I learned what a huge portion of total greenhouse gas emissions come from the agriculture sector. The meat industry, especially, requires huge amounts of inputs (fertilizer, feed, water, land etc.) for just one unit of output, that I can see why it is so unsustainable. The meat industry, coupled with corporate control of the food industry, is a dangerous combination!
ReplyDeleteTo play devil's advocate, what do you propose the food industry does in light of a quickly growing population? It seems like "factory farming" is the only way to feed a growing, hungry population.
I agree that eating vegan is beneficial for both the individual and the environment. However, it seems to be a tough sell for most of the world. What do you think can be done to persuade people to stop eating/eating less meat? Do you think if more people knew about the environmental impact of eating meat that more people would choose a vegan diet?
ReplyDeleteI definitely see your view on environmental veganism and the positive effects it has in reducing carbon emissions and green house gases. Personally giving up meat would be a big step, but potentially starting with "Meatless Monday" could be the first start in reducing emissions and factory farm productions.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned a quote from Rajenda Pachauri that diet change is important to reducing green house gases. Do you think this tactic would work for all countries? For example, China who has a diet in low amounts of animal based protein, but is still a large contributor to green house gases.
Carla,
ReplyDeleteI would argue that switching to a more plant and grain based diet would easily reduce agricultural emissions. Factory farming is a cruel and inhumane method of producing mass amounts of meet for a growing population. Taking the grain that would otherwise go to feeding cattle and using it to feed hungry people would certainly be a good first step!
Alec,
ReplyDeleteI never thought that I would ever become a vegan. I ate meat for nineteen years of my life and enjoyed it. The reason why I became a vegan is because I saw the cruel practices of the meat industry, how it affects our environment, and how it affects our health. I would argue that more transparency among the meat industry would persuade people to eat less meat.
Nikki
Kamil,
ReplyDeleteObviously my post was more directed toward the agricultural industry in the United States. Meat consumption is lower in developing nations because many simply cannot afford the luxury, however unfortunately demand for meat is rising as nations like India develop. Because of your aforementioned example of China, I would not recommend a dietary change to reduce emissions globally. I would, however, be a proponent of developing nations eating less meat, since industrial agriculture releases so many emissions.
Nikki