Climate change is primarily caused by an increase in levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere as a result of anthropogenic (human-caused) activities. Nitrous oxide, arising from manure storage and the use of organic/inorganic fertilizers, is a molecule with a global warming potential 265 times higher than carbon dioxide. January 2015 The US lower 48 states represents 1.9 billion acres. 10Umair Irfan, “113 Degrees in France: Why Europe Is So Vulnerable to Extreme Heat,” Vox, 28 June 2019. Because the U.S. meat production has increased with almost 50 percent, milk production 16 percent, and egg production almost 33 percent. And consuming animal-derived foods weakens our immune systems and metabolic health. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that when each and every one of us changes our behavior, we can save lives—and the same applies to the health risks posed by climate change. Frank Mitloehner, an animal scientist from the University of California, Davis has been vocal about his view that meat has been disproportionately linked to climate change … For example, people often suggest that going vegan is the most important thing we can to stop the climate change. Their stomachs have four chambers, including the rumen, which ferments their food so that nutrients can be extracted. Beyond that, animal agriculture is terrible for human health. By 2050, consumption of meat and dairy prod… Why Animal Agriculture is Not the Leading Cause of Climate Change A healthy portion of animal agriculture’s bad rap comes from the falsehood that livestock is the major source of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Facts and Fiction on Livestock and Climate Change As the November 2015 Global Climate Change Conference COP21 concluded in Paris, 196 countries reached agreement on the reduction of fossil fuel use and emissions in the production and consumption of energy, even to the extent of potentially phasing out fossil fuels out entirely. The degree to which human activities, including animal agriculture production, contributes to climate change is largely unknown. For this reason, we could take the opportunity of mitigating global warming by regulating the livestock industry. The burning of fossil fuels is currently the leading source of … Short Course: Basic Climate Science. We must act now ... Five years ago, our family felt hopeless about climate change, and helpless to make meaningful change… Meat, dairy, and egg production are among the leading causes of human-caused climate change, soil erosion, water pollution, and the decrease in biodiversity. As periods of warm weather get longer and historically cold regions warm up, the ecology of vectors is changing and their breeding grounds and lifespans are increasing—especially in the case of mosquitos.13 This is causing a rise in vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, encephalitis, hantavirus, Rift Valley fever, Lyme disease, chikungunya, and West Nile virus.14 Experts have also observed that in Africa, climate change–fueled food insecurity is leading many people to sustain themselves by eating bush meat. PETA Rapid Action: Urge Officials to Close Live-Animal Markets NOW, URGENT: Sign the Petition to Shut Down Live-Animal Meat Markets, The Organic, ‘Free-Range,’ and ‘Humane Meat’ Myths, iy_2021; im_01; id_27; ih_09; imh_55; i_epoch:1611770112380, py_2020; pm_10; pd_28; ph_11; pmh_03; p_epoch:1603908213586, link-block; link-block_link-block; bodystr, pn_tstr:Wed Oct 28 11:03:33 PST 2020; pn_epoch:1603908213586, https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/animals-used-food-factsheets/animal-agriculture-and-climate-change/. One of animal agriculture‘s greatest environmental impacts is its contribution to global warming and climate change. We have already witnessed this phenomenon during heat waves in Europe, where every year, vulnerable individuals suffer from heat-induced illnesses. McMichael, et al., “Climate Change and Human Health: Risk and Responses,” World Health Organization, 2003. In this paper, we present the results of a Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) proving that animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change, responsible for at least 87% of greenhouse gas emissions annually. Terms for automated texts/calls from PETA: Rearing Cattle Produces More Greenhouse Gases Than Driving Cars, UN Report Warns, Options for Keeping the Food System Within Environmental Limits, Overview of Greenhouse Gases: Nitrous Oxide Emissions, Less Meat Is Nearly Always Better Than Sustainable Meat, to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint, Banish ‘Eat Local’ From Your Environmental Playbook, Climate Change and Land: An IPCC Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems, 113 Degrees in France: Why Europe Is So Vulnerable to Extreme Heat, Climate Change and Human Health: Risk and Responses, Climate and Health: Climate Effects on Health, How Climate Change Is Exacerbating the Spread of Disease, Tell Chicago Officials to Shut Down Filthy Live-Animal Markets, Time to Scream Bloody Murder: Close Slaughterhouses, Labs Kill Animals Deemed Not ‘Essential’ in Response to COVID-19. Fortunately, we can all take simple steps to protect our health and our planet. These are just some of the ways animal agriculture and the resulting climate change can harm human health and exacerbate the risk of pandemics like COVID-19. Deforestation is one of the leading ways in which the livestock industry contributes to global warming. 11Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Climate and Health: Allergens,” 18 June 2019. As a result, expert groups like the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are warning the public that meat and dairy consumption must be drastically reduced in order to mitigate the disastrous effects of climate change on our planet and our health.9. Animal Agriculture and Climate Change - 4.03k Followers, 1 Following, 537 pins | Animal Agriculture is responsible for 51% of greenhouse gases, more so than all fossil-fueled transport. Climate change poses various health risks, including an increase in both chronic and infectious diseases. Water quality is also negatively affected by climate change. However, it’s difficult to answer the question of how much we really impact the changes we witness. Each year, a single cow will belch about 220 pounds of methane. Greenandgrowing.org is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. A full 50 percent of the world’s livable land – meaning land that is ice-free and fertile – is … All in all, we need more drastic policies that take a firm stance on minimizing the effect of animal agriculture. The calculations used to get the 51% of global GHG emissions are, at times, inaccurate or inappropriate, leading ultimately to a misrepresentation of the impact of animal agriculture. “Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs). Moreover, animal agriculture is a leading source of other greenhouse gases. 3Food and Agriculture Organization, “Livestock—Cattle,” 2010. (Producing 1 kilogram of beef with the largest footprint results in more than 105 kilograms of CO2e.) The need to expand pasture land and land for growing feedcrops has a terrible impact on the world’s forests. Various organizations and movements exaggerate some of the facts above to benefit their agendas. Rising temperatures and extreme heat can be dangerous for people who are elderly or immunocompromised and will increase the rate of heat-related illness and death, including from cardiovascular failure. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Animal Agriculture is the leading driver of human induced climate change, deforestation, water depletion, habitat loss, species extinction and world hunger. It proves that the livestock sector has improved feed efficiencies, developed better manure management strategies and efficient use of cropland. The most important greenhouse gases from animal agriculture are methane and nitrous oxide. Today, the average American farmer is able to feed about 144 people worldwide. However, this is not meant to minimize the impact animal agriculture has on global warming. 5Alejandra Borunda, “Methane, Explained,” National Geographic, 23 Jan. 2019. Developing Extension Capacity to Address Issues Related to Climate Change and Animal Agriculture. By sticking to a diet that consists of animal products, humans are contributing directly to putting our planet in crisis. Climate Change Cattle-rearing generates more global warming greenhouse gases, as measured in CO2 equivalent, than transportation, and smarter production methods, including improved animal diets to reduce enteric fermentation and consequent methane emissions, are urgently needed, according to a new United Nations report released today. Agriculture contributes towards climate change through anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and by the conversion of non-agricultural land such as forests into agricultural land. Monkeys Get COVID-19, Too: Demand Answers on Primates Now! Climate change Wildlife Energy ... the latest year for which accurate data is available from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock on EU … Often, this comes from monkeys or bats, who commonly carry vector-borne diseases such as Ebola, which can spread to humans who consume the flesh of a sick animal.15. 1United Nations, “Rearing Cattle Produces More Greenhouse Gases Than Driving Cars, UN Report Warns,” UN News, 29 Nov. 2006. However, it is important to keep in mind that transportation is just one of the sources of fossil fuel combustion. My goal is to educate others about this great planet, and the ways we can help to protect it. In order to accommodate the 70 billion animals raised annually for human consumption, a third of the planet’s ice-free land surface, as well as nearly sixteen percent of global freshwater, is devoted to growing livestock. Projected impact of climate change on yields of corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton by the years 2080-2099. The greenhouse gas footprint of animal agriculture rivals that that of every car, truck, bus, ship, airplane, and rocket ship combined, they said. The livestock sector generates 37 percent of human-caused methane emissions. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Animal agriculture is responsible for about 9% of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions globally. Animal agriculture harms human health in more ways than one: Cramped, filthy conditions on today’s intensive farms can lead to outbreaks of zoonotic diseases (which can spread from animals to humans). Thankfully, methane only remains in the atmosphere for 12 years. A balanced diet should contain meat and poultry. 2Marco Springmann, et al., “Options for Keeping the Food System Within Environmental Limits,” Nature, 562.7728 (2018): 519–525. | Powered by WordPress. Needless to say, the result of this action is, On a global level, scientists estimate that. 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