The Greenhouse Hamburger
- Yet according to a 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), our diets and, specifically, the meat in them cause more greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, and the like—to spew into the atmosphere than either transportation or industry
- The FAO report found that current production levels of meat contribute between 14 and 22 percent of the 36 billion tons of “CO2-equivalent” greenhouse gases the world produces every year
- Beef consumption is rising rapidly, both as population increases and as people eat more meat
- Producing the annual beef diet of the average American emits as much greenhouse gas as a car driven more than 1,800 miles
- In truth, every food we consume, vegetables and fruits included, incurs hidden environmental costs: transportation, refrigeration and fuel for farming, as well as methane emissions from plants and animals, all lead to a buildup of atmospheric greenhouse gases
- Cows emit between 2.5 and 4.7 ounces of methane for each pound of beef they produce
- Those emissions are the equivalent of releasing between 3.6 and 6.8 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere for each pound of beef produced
- Improving waste management and farming practices would certainly reduce the “carbon footprint” of beef production
- Eating locally produced food, for instance, can reduce the need for transport though food inefficiently shipped in small batches on trucks from nearby farms can turn out to save surprisingly little in greenhouse emissions
- World beef consumption per capita is growing because of economic development: as people earn higher incomes, they purchase foods they find more desirable
- Greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane, for instance-trap solar energy and warm the earth’s surface
- Worldwide meat production (beef, chicken and pork) emits more atmospheric greenhouse gases than do all forms of global transportation or industrial processes
- World beef production is increasing at a rate of about 1 percent a year, in part because of population growth but also because of greater per capita demand in many countries
- The take-home lesson is clear: we ought to give careful thought to diet and its consequences for the planet if we are serious about limiting the emissions of greenhouse gases
Burgers and burgers and even more burgers. Yum! Its an irresistible delectable dish. We have become revolved around beef but what we do not know is how this meal can be bad for our environment and the climate. According to a 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), our diets and, specifically, the meat in them cause more greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, and the like—to spew into the atmosphere than either transportation or industry. This is certain as beef is known to produce large amounts of greenhouse gases from just serving it a table. Then, the FAO report found that current production levels of meat contribute between 14 and 22 percent of the 36 billion tons of “CO2-equivalent” greenhouse gases the world produces every year. This fact fits in our society in the way that beef consumption is rising rapidly, both as population increases and as people eat more meat. Consequently, producing the annual beef diet of the average American emits as much greenhouse gas as a car driven more than 1,800 miles. Similarly, in truth, every food we consume, vegetables and fruits included, incurs hidden environmental costs: transportation, refrigeration and fuel for farming, as well as methane emissions from plants and animals, all lead to a buildup of atmospheric greenhouse gases. A long process to just make beef has many surprising facts. Worldwide meat production (beef, chicken and pork) emits more atmospheric greenhouse gases than do all forms of global transportation or industrial processes. In addition, world beef production is increasing at a rate of about 1 percent a year, in part because of population growth but also because of greater per capita demand in many countries. Ways to cut down in beef is to eat locally produced food, for instance, can reduce the need for transport though food inefficiently shipped in small batches on trucks from nearby farms can turn out to save surprisingly little in greenhouse emissions. Also, improving waste management and farming practices would certainly reduce the “carbon footprint” of beef production. Lastly, we should ought to give careful thought to diet and its consequences for the planet if we are serious about limiting the emissions of greenhouse gases.
I never knew that eating beef can accumulate the emission of a car that drove that many miles. I'm pretty sure that everyone like myself would have to admit that beef is something we can't remove from our diets. Meat is too precious to leave out of a meal because without it it makes what we eat incomplete. Its understandable that we love it but we need to cut back eating it for maybe as 2 times per week or however its suitable to your daily needs. I also think that if we swapped over to locally grown foods and vegetables, we not only improve ourselves to be healthier in a way but also helping out the environment at the same time. Its like killing a bird with two stones. We don't have to completely take it out of the picture but just low enough would do the trick.