Montclair High School Bio Blog: The Secret to Sustaining the Planet

Figure 1: Meat-free meme

Ok, so I know everybody is going to say "Oh look it's a vegan being preachy and trying to get me to convert to their lifestyle." However, that statement would be incorrect. I am simply here to discuss how, if the entirety of the planet cut meat out from their diets, we could possibly combat global warming. No, I'm not making this up to push my agenda on you all, although it could certainly help.

Figure 2: The greenhouse effect model

If you have not heard about greenhouse gases, they are any group of compounds that can trap heat in the atmosphere. They bring earth's surface to a much higher temperature than it would be in their absence (AKA global warming). Sounds bad right? Yeah, it certainly is.

So where does the meat come in? Well, it turns out that major factory production of meat releases more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation industry and 10 to 40 times more than the production of fruits and grains. Also, 1/3 of the worlds fresh water is used for the production of meat (which could be used to hydrate those in Flint, Michigan). Water pollution on factory farms has gotten really bad and produces as much sewage waste as a small city. The livestock being raised as food eat nearly all of the grains produced that could instead be used to feed humans in poverty (nearly 800 million of them) not to mention a bag of rice is a lot cheaper than a rack of ribs.

According to a Scientific American article, The Environmental Working Group says that nearly 200 million pounds of pesticides and nitrogen fertilizer are spread over 150 million acres of cropland yearly, producing nitrous oxide. Cattle also produce 20% of the United State's overall methane emission.

Moreover, 4/5 of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest could possibly be linked to cattle ranching. Antibiotics used to keep animals healthy (up until their execution date) has lead to antibiotic-resistant bacterias that lead to 700,000 human deaths a year, and it's only the beginning.

Figure 3: Milk meme

So, we've covered meat and you're probably thinking "Yeah great, meat is bad but why the heck would I stop eating grilled cheese sandwiches? What about my truffle omelet?" Do not fret! We're getting there.

19% of the global water footprint from animal agriculture (which is 25% if the worlds total global water footprint) comes from dairy cattle. It comes from feeding the animals, keeping them hydrated, and cleaning up after them. Onegreenplanet.org made this list that really puts this into perspective.

1 cup of yogurt requires 35 gallons of water
1 scoop of ice cream requires 42 gallons of water
2 slices of cheese require 50 gallons of water
1 cup of Greek yogurt requires 90 gallons of water
1 stick of butter requires 109 gallons of water

They also mention how one glass of soymilk only uses 9 gallons of water, so even substituting soymilk for regular milk once a week makes an impact.

The dairy industry also produces 4% of the worlds greenhouse gases, 27% of which is methane (which is bad!). Out of all the food industries, cheese emits the third highest amount of greenhouse gases following right behind beef and lamb.

Figure 4: This could be me and you!

What exactly would happen if, for some reason, the entire planet went vegan? Paul Allen, a journalist for BBC wrote an article explaining the expected results. He says "If we all went vegan, the world’s food-related emissions would drop by 70% by 2050 according to a recent report on food and climate in the journal Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The study’s authors from Oxford University put the economic value of these emissions savings at around £440 billion". He also notes, that while it's possible for those who follow a vegan diet to eat unhealthily, a worldwide plant-based diet would reduce coronary heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes and even some cancers. There would be 8.1 million fewer deaths per year and up to 1,000 billion dollars could be saved on health care.

If you're not convinced yet, check out some of these films on Netflix:
cowspiracy
What the Health
Sustainable
Live and Let Live
Also, Perhaps consider joining in on the trendy meatless Monday or dairy-free dinners! You don't need to be all or nothing, but remember where your food comes from. Vox.com put out an article about the issue. Many people ask how they can help the planet, and the sooner people learn more about the impact of their food, the better. Pick foods that you know have a smaller carbon footprint, for example choosing fish over steak. And while the vegan diet has the smallest carbon footprint of them all, the Mediterranean diet is a close second. Check that out here.