It takes 2500 gallons of water to make 1 pound of beef – the equivalent of 30 showers. 477 gallons of water are required to produce 1lb. of eggs; almost 900 gallons of water are needed for 1lb. of cheese. Agriculture is responsible for 80-90% of water consumption in the US. With California still in a drought, this is pretty big news. According to the Pacific Institute from a study of California’s carbon footprint, Californians use 1500 gallons of water per person per day. Close to half is associated with meat and dairy products.
Animal agriculture is responsible for 51% of greenhouse gas emissions. This is more than all transportation usage combined. We’re taught at school that it’s fossil fuels that are destroying the planet when in actual fact, it’s animal agriculture. Even if we stopped using fossil fuels altogether, we will still exceed our 565 gigatonnes CO2e limit by 2030, all from raising animals. And we can’t just skip straight to solar and wind power because converting to wind and solar power will take 20+ years and roughly 43 trillion dollars. Reducing methane emissions would create tangible benefits almost immediately since cows produce 150 billion tons of methane per day. With emissions from animal agriculture projected to increase by 80% by 2050, we simply have to do something about it. Our generation and the next ones will pay with their lives if we don’t.
In terms of land use, 1.5 acres of land can produce 37,000 pounds of plant-based food. 1.5 acres of land can produce 375 pounds of meat. This is insane. It really doesn’t take up that much space to grow enough plants to feed the whole planet, especially if those plants are GM and thus gain a higher yield of each crop.
Animal agriculture is destroying indigenous communities in the Amazon, too, as they’re fighting for their land as it gets bulldozed to make room for cattle space. In the last 20 years, 1,100 people have been murdered fighting for their homes. 1-2 acres of land in the rainforest are cleared every second to make room for livestock. Just think, how many indigenous communities, habitats, and species will be affected by this.
All of these facts are pretty terrifying and certainly left me fairly anxiety stricken and feeling helpless when I first found out about the impacts of animal agriculture on the planet. The good news is, there’s something we can do about it. We currently grow enough food to feed 10 billion people, yet the majority of it is fed to livestock and sold to the West. Eastern societies starve whilst we use their land and livestock to feed our appetites for cheap burgers. According to Shrink That Footprint, a person who follows a plant-based diet produces the equivalent of 50% less carbon dioxide, uses 1/11th oil, 1/13th water, and 1/18th land compared to a meat eater for their food. Also, according to a study ran by the University of Twente (Netherlands), a person who eats a plant-based diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 square feet of forested land, 20 lbs CO2 equivalent, and one animal’s life, every single day.
We’ve been fooled into believing that it’s coal and oil that contribute the most to global warming. This isn’t entirely untrue as they do contribute quite heavily to global warming, but not to the extent that animal agriculture does. The answer to stopping using coal and oil is actually quite complicated, as it means switching fuel sources which are currently quite difficult; Teslas are ridiculously expensive, and oil is way too cheap. But we have the opportunity three times a day to impact the effects of global warming with what we buy for breakfast lunch and dinner. In this current state of affairs of pleasure and convenience overriding our ethical and moral obligations, we need to change the status quo. There isn’t a good enough excuse to keep on eating meat and dairy products, especially when the alternatives are so readily available. There are 7 different types of plant-based milk, most supermarkets in the UK sell plant-based cheeses, and also offer a wide range of plant-based meat products, not to mention the rows and rows of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. The options are wide, varied, and actually really delicious. When vegans give up meat and dairy, we’re not giving up the taste and textures of those things because there are alternatives that taste exactly the same. What vegans are actually giving up is cruelty; to the planet, to the animals, and ultimately, to ourselves.
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