Our Environment

Global Warming
Eating meat is one of the greatest causes of global warming. By eating lower on the food chain – ideally, an-all-plant-based diet — humankind can take an essential and enormous step in reducing global warming. A 2006 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report entitled Livestock’s Long Shadow (www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448) concludes that global animal agriculture contributes more greenhouse gas emissions (in CO2 equivalents), an astonishing 18 percent of the total, more than all forms of transportation. Furthermore, the global warming potential and effect of these gases is more striking since methane and nitrous oxide are 23 and 296 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. A University of Chicago study found that the average American diet, including all food processing steps, annually produces 1.5 tons of CO2-equivalent more than a meat-free diet.

Environment and Humanitarianism
The world is currently raising over 50 billion farmed animals for slaughter each year and, in addition to its major impact on global warming, this is contributing significantly to the destruction of tropical rainforests and other valuable habitats, rapid species extinction, soil erosion and depletion and other environmental threats. Because of its high degree of inefficiency compared to plant protein production, animal agriculture is disproportionately depleting the planet’s dwindling reserves of fresh water, land, fuel, and other resources. More than ½ of the maize we grow goes to animal feedlots, while 1 child dies every 45 minutes from malnutrition-related sickness. It requires 500 times as much land to produce 1kg beef as 1kg vegetables. 30kg vegetation is needed to produce 1kg beef. Protein derived from meat requires 25 times more energy to produce than comparable protein from grain. 250 l water needed to produce 1kg wheat; 25000 l water needed to produce 1 kg meat!