How would you rank the worst meats to eat in terms of their environment impact on global warming?!
Here are your options!.
1!. Chicken
2!. Fish
3!. Beef
I encourage internet research on this one as the information is already out there!.
I already know this answer but am curious about the awareness level concerning this most important issue!.
also appropriately added comments and citing sources will increase the likelihood of a chosen answer!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
1!. Chicken
2!. Fish
3!. Beef
I encourage internet research on this one as the information is already out there!.
I already know this answer but am curious about the awareness level concerning this most important issue!.
also appropriately added comments and citing sources will increase the likelihood of a chosen answer!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
I think the greatest offender is beef, followed by pork and chicken!. Overfishing is devastating to the environment in it's own way but I don't think it is as closely tied to global warming as other animal agriculture!. Beef by it's very nature guarantees massive consumption of resources, and since most of the cattle in America is fed an unnatural diet (rather than grass they are fed corn, soy and grain - which is cheaper) they produce especially toxic waste and emit even more gas than normal!.
There have actually been wide-spread, well documented and massively researched articles released recently about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment!. Not only did the United Nations (with an international selection of scientists, biologists, researchers, etc) report on it, but there are USDA reports about it and news reports from just about every major news source - FOX news, the most obviously conservative news station ever, with the madman Rupert Murdock as it's owner (and propaganda pusher) barely counts as credible, even among conservatives!.
A UN study concluded that " the livestock sector [is] a "major player" in affecting climate change through greenhouse-gas production!. The FAO found that the ranching and slaughter of cows and other animals generates an estimated 18 percent of total human-induced greenhouse-gas emissions globally!." 18% - that's greater than all offices and houses worldwide (8% of global warming contribution) or even all the cars in the WORLD (13-15% global warming contribution)!.
An ABC news report also showed that a team of geophysicists analyzed that eating meat is equivalent to driving the worst of gas-guzzling SUV's!. A quote: "When they looked at only carbon dioxide emissions associated directly with energy consumption, they came up with the vegetarian diet far less damaging to the planet than the others!."
HSUS report on Agriculture and Climate Change
http://www!.hsus!.org/web-files/PDF/farm/a!.!.!.
Meat and Global Warming ABC NEWS report
http://abcnews!.go!.com/Technology/story!?i!.!.!.
UN/FAO report on livestock and meat industry contribution to pollution
http://www!.fao!.org/newsroom/en/news/2006!.!.!.
Here is the United States Department of Agriculture report on animal agriculture and it's effect on the environment, including some amazing statistics and figures!.
http://www!.ers!.usda!.gov/publications/are!.!.!.
=====================EDIT=============!.!.!.
MUCH more recent sources - I had to go through my university's hosted resources for some of these:
http://www!.ehponline!.org/members/2008/11!.!.!.
"Global Farm Animal Production and Global Warming: Impacting and Mitigating Climate Change"!.
Gowri Koneswaran and Danielle Nierenberg!. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES!. Online January 31, 2008!.
Skip the Steak - The Global Warming Survival Guide
http://www!.time!.com/time/specials/2007/e!.!.!.
Time Magazine, Bryan Walsh, 2007 Global Warming/Environment Special
A tasty quote from said article:
"If you switch to vegetarianism, you can shrink your carbon footprint by up to 1!.5 tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to research by the University of Chicago!. Trading a standard car for a hybrid cuts only about one ton—and isn't as tasty!."
also, the 8th National Conference on Science, Policy, and the Environment was held January 16-18, 2008, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC, and had intense focus on animal agriculture and it's relationship to the environment and global warming!. I'll stop short of scanning in my program guides, brochures, etc!.
I think this suffices, esp!. since the person contending my research has only 2 sources!. also, one of his sources, the Fox News hosted source, does not directly attribute global warming to anything more than "human activity" since the 1700's, and markedly in the last 50 years, which can still be interpreted as human activity like animal agriculture and farming!.
also, the same article pinpoints various carbon emissions and green house gases - many of which are the same ones (like nitrate emissions, carbon emissions) that are made because of animal agriculture!. Even in it's vageueness, it is accurate, though it doesn't point a finger at the CAUSE of the human activity that causes so much emission - animal agriculture!.
The second source named is from 2006, and is from the UNFCCC!. While the UNFCCC makes only brief mention of agriculture and forestry, the Kyoto Protocol itself deals explicitly with the subject and puts special emphasis on sustainable management practices and the promotion of sustainable forms of agriculture in the light of climate change considerations!. That is but a snippet of the actual Kyoto Protocol, and it's many spanning amendments!. If you look at article 3!.3, 3!.4, 7, 8 and 12, they all specifically apply to animal agriculture and such interests!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
There have actually been wide-spread, well documented and massively researched articles released recently about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment!. Not only did the United Nations (with an international selection of scientists, biologists, researchers, etc) report on it, but there are USDA reports about it and news reports from just about every major news source - FOX news, the most obviously conservative news station ever, with the madman Rupert Murdock as it's owner (and propaganda pusher) barely counts as credible, even among conservatives!.
A UN study concluded that " the livestock sector [is] a "major player" in affecting climate change through greenhouse-gas production!. The FAO found that the ranching and slaughter of cows and other animals generates an estimated 18 percent of total human-induced greenhouse-gas emissions globally!." 18% - that's greater than all offices and houses worldwide (8% of global warming contribution) or even all the cars in the WORLD (13-15% global warming contribution)!.
An ABC news report also showed that a team of geophysicists analyzed that eating meat is equivalent to driving the worst of gas-guzzling SUV's!. A quote: "When they looked at only carbon dioxide emissions associated directly with energy consumption, they came up with the vegetarian diet far less damaging to the planet than the others!."
HSUS report on Agriculture and Climate Change
http://www!.hsus!.org/web-files/PDF/farm/a!.!.!.
Meat and Global Warming ABC NEWS report
http://abcnews!.go!.com/Technology/story!?i!.!.!.
UN/FAO report on livestock and meat industry contribution to pollution
http://www!.fao!.org/newsroom/en/news/2006!.!.!.
Here is the United States Department of Agriculture report on animal agriculture and it's effect on the environment, including some amazing statistics and figures!.
http://www!.ers!.usda!.gov/publications/are!.!.!.
=====================EDIT=============!.!.!.
MUCH more recent sources - I had to go through my university's hosted resources for some of these:
http://www!.ehponline!.org/members/2008/11!.!.!.
"Global Farm Animal Production and Global Warming: Impacting and Mitigating Climate Change"!.
Gowri Koneswaran and Danielle Nierenberg!. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES!. Online January 31, 2008!.
Skip the Steak - The Global Warming Survival Guide
http://www!.time!.com/time/specials/2007/e!.!.!.
Time Magazine, Bryan Walsh, 2007 Global Warming/Environment Special
A tasty quote from said article:
"If you switch to vegetarianism, you can shrink your carbon footprint by up to 1!.5 tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to research by the University of Chicago!. Trading a standard car for a hybrid cuts only about one ton—and isn't as tasty!."
also, the 8th National Conference on Science, Policy, and the Environment was held January 16-18, 2008, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC, and had intense focus on animal agriculture and it's relationship to the environment and global warming!. I'll stop short of scanning in my program guides, brochures, etc!.
I think this suffices, esp!. since the person contending my research has only 2 sources!. also, one of his sources, the Fox News hosted source, does not directly attribute global warming to anything more than "human activity" since the 1700's, and markedly in the last 50 years, which can still be interpreted as human activity like animal agriculture and farming!.
also, the same article pinpoints various carbon emissions and green house gases - many of which are the same ones (like nitrate emissions, carbon emissions) that are made because of animal agriculture!. Even in it's vageueness, it is accurate, though it doesn't point a finger at the CAUSE of the human activity that causes so much emission - animal agriculture!.
The second source named is from 2006, and is from the UNFCCC!. While the UNFCCC makes only brief mention of agriculture and forestry, the Kyoto Protocol itself deals explicitly with the subject and puts special emphasis on sustainable management practices and the promotion of sustainable forms of agriculture in the light of climate change considerations!. That is but a snippet of the actual Kyoto Protocol, and it's many spanning amendments!. If you look at article 3!.3, 3!.4, 7, 8 and 12, they all specifically apply to animal agriculture and such interests!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Beef is defiantly the worst!. I became a vegetarian a year ago and I am much healthier now!. I would like to eventually become vegan and take my diet to at least 80% raw!. But since I live in the frozen north getting fresh fruits and veggies in the winter is hard!. And I don't know if I will ever be considered a true vegan since I still plan on consuming honey!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Since global warming is a hoax,I have nothing to add,its your choice,your lifestyle,though I respect your choice,I see your biased to mine!.If you wanna cry foul and say that cows produce methane gas,Ill just say that termites produce more methane gas in a month than a cow ever could in a year!.So my choice would be TOFU and soybean,especially since SOYBEANS mimic and breakdown like estrogen in the body of men(not women) too much can be harmful to your health if your a guy!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
None!. City buildings and the transportation industry produce 75% of all greenhouse gasses!. UN reports do not even mention animals!.
By the way, "Hollywood" is just Scottie pretending to be someone else because of his/her multiple suspended or deleted accounts!.!. Seriously, girl, why are you still pretending to be a vegetarian!.!. and now copy pasting other people's answers!?!? talk about beng a wannabe!.!. You are a 60lb overweight meat eater!.!. live with it!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
By the way, "Hollywood" is just Scottie pretending to be someone else because of his/her multiple suspended or deleted accounts!.!. Seriously, girl, why are you still pretending to be a vegetarian!.!. and now copy pasting other people's answers!?!? talk about beng a wannabe!.!. You are a 60lb overweight meat eater!.!. live with it!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Generally, the larger the animal, the greater the negative environmental impact!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
DEPENDS if you talking about greenhouse gases and that stuff beef!. but if its like saving the species fish well also depending what type of fish too!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I agree with Stygianwolfe :)Www@FoodAQ@Com