51 percent or more of greenhouse gases are caused by animal agriculture according to World Watch Institute. The carbon footprint of a vegan is considerably less than that of someone who eats animal products. In a study by the University of Chicago, a vegan diet is responsible for 1.5 fewer tons of carbon dioxide a year more than a meat eater. By comparison, if you drive a Toyota Prius you are responsible for 1 ton less of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
About 30 percent of the Earth's land is involved in livestock production. Although the United States only has about 5 percent of the world's population, we grow and kill more than 15 percent of the world animals. This is nearly 10 billion animals a year. If you are a Beefeater you are using almost twice as much of the land resources that you would if you had a plant-based diet.
Animal agriculture also uses huge amounts of water for crop production. One of the largest factors contributing to the drought in California is the eating of animal products. 70% of the worlds fresh water is being diverted to industrial agriculture. You can shower for a year for the same amount of water that is needed to grow two and a half pounds of beef. Feed for livestock like alfalfa covers a million acres in California and most of it is exported to China. 1 pound of beef takes 2500 gallons of water, however one pound of soybeans only takes 216 gallons of water. 47% of California's water is used for meat and dairy products.
There are other factors that contribute to the carbon footprint of animal agriculture. Growing agricultural products organically without the use of harmful pesticides and insecticides or fertilizers greatly reduces the carbon imprint. Fertilizers are a petroleum product. Methane which is the product of animal agriculture is a huge contributor to climate change also. Transportation of meat products also has a huge carbon footprint.
One third of the world's cereal and 90% of the soy is being raised for animal feed. 71 percent of all agricultural crops are used for animal feed. Cattle can provide only about a pound of beef for every 16 pounds of feed they consume. A plant-based diet lessons deforestation, starvation, climate change, heart disease pollution, and animal cruelty. The National Academy of Science states that “Given the broad, categorical disparities apparent in our results, it is clear that policy decisions designed to reduce animal-based food consumption stand to significantly reduce the environmental costs of food production (55) while sustaining a burgeoning populace.”
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