Why Meat’s Not Green

Most people are not aware of the connection between food and climate change. Although during the last few years many of us have become more aware of the importance of locally produced food, the far more pressing issue of global meat consumption has not been addressed sufficiently enough.

For many years documentaries like Devour the Earth have been informing us about the devastating impact the meat industry has on our environment. In 2006 the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN found that the meat industry is responsible for about 1/5 of all greenhouse gases produced. This means, meat production has a bigger impact on climate change than all of the world’s transportation traffic (incl. automobiles, trucks, airplanes, etc.) combined. (Source)

In October 2009 a new analysis by the WorldWatch Institute revealed that the original statistic by the FAO was a major underestimation. According to the new findings

the animal industry contributes at least 51% (!) of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. (Source)

For illustration purposes this would mean, that if we were to, for example, replace all our old light bulbs with energy efficient ones and ban all cars, trucks and airplanes worldwide, it would have less of an effect on climate change than if we were to switch from consuming animal to plant-based products.

Despite these sobering insights into the central problem of meat consumption the topic is still mostly ignored by politicians. Due to a strong lobby behind the animal industry the major media outlets, too, rarely report on this topic, and if they do the simplest and most effective solution strategy (i.e. reducing the consumption of animal products) is hardly ever mentioned.

The good news, however, is that an increasing number of people from all different areas (e.g. from celebrities and chief economists to hoteliers, government agencies and even entire cities) are helping to educate about vegan lifestyles and the connection between the way we eat and climate change.

 

Tipp zum Klimaschutz

Heute entdeckt am Bahnhof Luzern. Die Plakatüberschrift lautet:
Fleischessen schädigt das Klima! Deshalb: Menschen, esst kein Fleisch!

Tatsächlich bestätigt die Welternährungsorganisation (FAO), der UNO-Weltklimarat (IPCC) sowie weitere Fachgremien, dass die Fleischindustrie mehr zum Klimawandel beiträgt als der gesamte globale Transport inklusiv Autoverkehr, Flugzeuge, etc (siehe auch vorheriger Beitrag). Den eigenen Fleischkonsum zu reduzieren oder am besten ganz auf tierische Produkte zu verzichten trägt also mehr zum Klimaschutz bei als z.B. weniger autofahren.

Ausserdem ist laut diesem aktuellen Fernsehbeitrag eine pflanzliche Ernährung nicht nur klimafreundlicher sondern auch gesünder.

Happy World Vegan Day

Today (November 1) is World Vegan Day. In addition to being a cruelty-free and healthier way of living, many people are going vegan for environmental reasons.

As many people are reducing their car use, limiting their water waste, becoming more energy-efficient and generally seeking to lessen their environmental impact, they are increasingly examining their eating habits too. Environmentally conscious consumers are concerned not only with food miles, over-packaging, pesticide use and genetically-modified foods, but are also increasingly questioning the environmental sustainability of modern animal husbandry.

The livestock industry is responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, and yet by comparison, all forms of transportation combined (i.e. cars, planes, etc.) emit 13.5%. The world livestock population is currently expanding at a faster rate than the human population and because meat production has quadrupled in the past fifty years livestock now outnumber people by more than three to one.

All these animals exist solely because of high meat consumption, which contributes significantly to water shortages, forest clearing, soil damage, use of oil-based pesticides and of course climate change.

The ironic thing is that millions of people all over the world suffer from hunger while more and more crops we could eat directly are being fed to livestock. Our dietary habits are a terribly inefficient use of the earth’s resources. A 2006 University of Chicago study found that a person switching from the average Western diet to a vegan diet would reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 1.5 metric tons a year.

The bottom line is that eating meat, dairy and eggs threatens our planet. I have been vegan for over a year now and not only was it one of the best decisions I have ever made in terms of my personal health and conscience, but I was surprised how easy and delicious vegan food is. For further information visit www.vegansociety.com

Maybe it’s time to go vegan

Only a few of the innumerable reasons why I’m a vegan.

Devour the Earth

Everybody’s talking about climate change. Already in 1995 the documentary Devour the Earth attempted to educate us about the devastating effects of animal industry on global climate. Today the facts of this documentary are more pertinent than ever. Here’s the newly revised version of Devour the Earth narrated by Paul McCartney.

PS: For the first time this movie is available on DVD and in different languages. It can be ordered from the Swiss Union for Vegetarianism.

Go vegan to help climate, says Government

For years it has been known that adopting a vegan (all plant-based) diet reduces one person’s impact on the environment more than giving up the car or forgoing several plane trips a year. That’s because the meat industry is a major contributor to global climate change. Although aware of it, most environmental agencies choose to ignore this fact. That’s why there should be more media coverage on the issue like this recent article in Britain’s Daily Telegraph called Go vegan to help climate, says Government.

Weltweite Aktion zum Klimawandel

Am 1. Februar 2007: nehmen Sie an der weltweit größten Bewegung gegen den Klimawechsel teil.

Alles Ausschalten – am 1. Februar 2007 von 19h55 bis 20h00

Verschiedenste Naturschutz-Organisationen, Klimaschutzorganisationen usw. senden derzeit eine Aufforderung an alle Bewohner unseres Planeten, 5 “Schweigeminuten” zu unterstützen:

Jeder soll am 1. Februar Licht, Strom und sonstiges ausschalten, zwischen 19h55 und 20h00. Fünf Minuten, nicht nur um Energie zu sparen, sondern vor allem, um die Bevölkerung, die Medien und Politiker auf die tägliche Energieverschwendung aufmerksam zu machen.

Eine Aktion, die nur 5 Minuten dauert, die nichts kostet, die aber der jeweiligen Regierung zeigt, dass die Klimakatastrophe ein schwerwiegendes Thema der Weltpolitik sein sollte.

Warum gerade dieses Datum werden Sie fragen?
Am ersten Februar veröffentlicht die UNO die aktuellen Ergebnisse zum Thema Klimawandel!

ALSO……DREHEN SIE AB!

Last Warning: 10 years to save the world

According to a new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) the world has about one decade left before climate change becomes unstoppable. In other words, we only have 10 years to reverse the surging greenhouse gas emissions or we risk that the climate change will make many parts of the planet uninhabitable. The report (to be released February 2, 2007) is the result of thousands of scientists from around the world who have been studying changes in the world’s climate and predicting how they might accelerate. Unless we rapidly stabilize greenhouse gas emissions and start reducing them, we will have little chance of keeping global warming within manageable limits. The results could include the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, the forced migration of hundreds of millions of people from equatorial regions, and the loss of vast tracts of land under rising seas because of melting ice caps. In Europe the summers could become unbearably hot, especially in southern countries such as Greece, Spain and Italy, while Britain and northern Europe would face summer droughts and wet, stormy winters.
[Source: TimesOnline]

Apparently, there are already proposals to force manufacturers to slash carbon dioxide emissions from new cars by more than 25% within the next six years. This is certainly an important action because cars are a major source of CO2 emissions. In addition, we should also focus on another very urgent matter in global warming. According to a recently released report by the United Nations (previous post here and here) the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than global transportation (i.e. driving cars). Therefore, we should also think about how to slow the global meat industry. One way is simply to reduce the demand for animal products. By reducing or even eliminating the consumption of animal products, we can help to slow down the global meat industry and effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As the following example illustrates, the effect we have on global warming through our diet is quite substantial. A regular consumer of animal products apparently contributes as much to greenhouse gas emissions as driving a big SUV. A person abstaining from all animal products, on the other hand, contributes as much as riding a bicycle.

Livestock’s Long Shadow

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recently warned that the global animal industry contributes more to global warming than driving cars. The findings of their very thorough report suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. The global meat and dairy production is expected to grow drastically in the near future, making this a very urgent issue. One way every single person can contribute to the solution is by decreasing the demand for animal products. By choosing to become vegetarian/vegan we can not only help to save the lives of innocent animals and improve our own health, but we also have a global impact in reducing global warming and protecting our environment.

The United Nation’s report “Livestock’s Long Shadow” (2006) is very thorough (390 pages) and can be downloaded for free.

Tierindustrie produziert mehr Treibhausgase als Autofahren

Laut einem neuen Bericht der Vereinten Nationen, generiert die industrielle Tierhaltung mehr Treibhausgase als Autofahren. Die Studie fand heraus, dass die Tiere aus der Tierindustrie 35-40% aller Methan Abgase (die 23 mal mehr zur globalen Erwärmung beitragen als CO2), 65% des Stickoxids (das 320 mal das Potential zur globalen Erwärmung hat als CO2), und 64% des Ammoniaks (das zum sauren Regen beiträgt) produzieren. Nebst den signifikanten Klimaveränderungen trägt die global wachsende Fleisch- und Milchindustrie extrem viel zur Wasserverschmutzung bei sowie zur Entwaldung wegen Weideland für Tiere. Fast 30% der gesamten Landoberfläche auf Erden wird für Weideland verwendet und diese Menge wird drastisch zunehmen wenn nicht sehr bald etwas unternommen wird.

Die gute Nachricht ist, dass jede einzelne Person auf relativ einfache Weise mithelfen kann etwas zu verändern. Durch den reduzierten Verbrauch und somit der Nachfrage für Tierprodukte können wir eine signifikante Entlastung der globalen Erwärmung erreichen. Laut neusten Berechnungen bezüglich Produktion von Treibhausgasen trägt der durchschnittliche Fleischesser soviel bei als würde er einen grossen SUV fahren. Eine Umstellung zum Vegetarier (kein Fleischkonsum, aber immer noch Milch und Eier) wäre wie einen grossen SUV mit Hybrid-Motor zu fahren. Ganz auf Tierprodukte zu verzichten (also Veganer zu werden) würde zur Produktion von Treibhausgasen soviel beitragen wie…Fahrradfahren!