Want to Heal the Planet? Look at What’s On Your Plate

GarryRogers:

Save the planet; eat right, and use condoms!

Originally posted on Life or Lunch?:

If you’re looking for another reason to reduce or eliminate animal products from your diet – as if health and animal welfare concerns weren’t enough – think of the planet. The livestock sector is a major contributor of greenhouse gases, and it also impacts the environment in other ways.

Although livestock specialists estimate their sector emits about 18 percent of human-generated greenhouse gases – per their 2006 UN Food and Agriculture Organization report called “Livestock’s Live Shadow” – updated numbers show emissions are much higher. Experts, including food journalist Mark Bittman, environmentalists from the UN’s World Bank and International Finance Corporation, and sustainability-focused organization World Watch, say the contribution is 51 percent.

How Does Livestock Production Contribute to Climate Change?

One of the prevalent greenhouse gases associated with the livestock sector is methane, a product of ruminant digestion and manure storage methods. Another is carbon dioxide, which can…

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