Stopping eating animal products is one of the most effective ways anyone can reduce their contribution to global warming and environmental degradation. And reduce the emergence of antibiotic resistance.
Livestocks Long Shadow
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s report “Livestock’s long Shadow” the livestock industry is one of the top two or three most significant contributors to our most serious environmental problems.
Livestock are now over 20% of animal biomass and occupy 30% of the land. They are the major driver of deforestation and loss of wildlife habitat and a leading driver of land degradation, growing deserts, reduction of biodiversity, pollution, climate change, over-fishing, coastal sedimentation, alien species invasions and resource conflicts.
Grazing takes up 26% of the ice-free land. On top of that feed-crops use 33% of arable land. In all 30% of land and 70% of agricultural land .
The livestock industry has degraded about 20% of the world’s pastures and range lands (73% of range lands in dry areas) mostly through overgrazing, compaction and consequent erosion.
Livestock are responsible for 9% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions mostly from land-use changes – especially deforestation – caused by expansion of pastures and arable land for feed crops.
Livestock produce 37% of anthropogenic methane (methane has 23 times the global warming potential (GWP) of CO2) mostly from enteric fermentation by ruminants. It emits 65 percent of anthropogenic nitrous oxide (with 296 times the GWP of CO2), mostly from manure.
Livestock are responsible for almost two-thirds (64%) of anthropogenic ammonia emissions, which contribute significantly to acid rain and acidification of ecosystems.
The livestock industry takes up 8 percent of human water use, mostly for the irrigation of feed crops. It is probably the largest source of water pollution, contributing to dead zones in coastal areas and degradation of coral reefs.
denial
The costs of production are being passed down to future generations.
Parts of the meat and dairy industry and their proxies are challenging the data to preserve their power to loot the land.
This is similar to the tobacco industry's campaigns to avoid being brought to account for the costs of their enterprise to the community