“A kilogram (2.2 pounds) of beef is responsible for more greenhouse gases and other pollution than driving for 3 hours while leaving all the lights on back home.” New Scientist conclusion on the CO2 emissions of the meat industry. This conclusion is based on the emissions of EUROPEAN vehicles, which are considerably lower than AMERICAN vehicles. Incredible.



The majority of the emissions from livestock originates from within the bowels of the animals themselves. That’s right. Farts. Incredible amounts of methane gas is released over the life span of the average piece of livestock. The next largest CO2 source in meat processing is the transportation and production of feed for the animals. It takes 16 times as much fossil fuel to produce 320 calories of beef as it does to produce 320 calories of vegetables and rice. 16. These figures do not factor in the transportation of the beef once it is butchered, or the hefty energy consumption of refrigeration for meat.

The UN”s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that livestock production generates more than 1/5 of the world’s greenhouse gases- more than transportation.

It’s clear- if you switch to vegetarianism you can shrink your carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to research by the University of Chicago. - Time Magazine

This is the biggest impact I could possibly have on my own carbon footprint. Phasing meat out of my life has reduced my carbon footprint by leaps and bounds. I realized towards the end of this past summer that I didn’t really need to eat meat anymore, and so I began to phase meat out of my daily diet. It took roughly a week to quit completely, but I haven’t had any problem since then in terms of craving meat. Tofu, nuts, certain grains, and dairy products have kept my protein intake at a sufficient level. The most striking element of this argument that I couldn’t have predicted was the fact that changing your diet could be more effective than upgrading your car from a gas guzzling SUV to a hybrid.

Choosing to eliminate meat from my diet is clearly the most effective way to reduce my carbon footprint.

I will do a Letterman-style countdown for the other ways I have reduced my carbon footprint:

10. Craigslist

9. Buying used clothing

8. Using glass water bottles

7. Washing dishes by hand (already a part of my routine)

6. Air-drying clothing, not washing as often

5. Making a concerted effort to purchase less individually wrapped items and plastic bottles

4. Attempting to cut back on dairy products

3. Shopping locally whenever possible

2. Trying to conserve electricity, turning off lights when not in use, turning off my computer.

1. Riding a bicycle, not traveling by plane, staying in one area for an extended period of time.

The best way to make an impact is to influence others with your own actions, and I’ve been attempting to do this without forcing my views onto others. Presenting the facts is enough to at least make most people think about how they live; making someone say “wow” by showing them the reality of something they had never before considered is pretty incredible. Inspiring change through education is the ultimate answer, which is why this class is relevant in the first place.