We live in a society in which we seek the most convenient way to go about things. Whether it be driving ourselves to work or buying a burger for lunch, the decisions we make affect the environment. When it comes to mass food production, the amount of carbon emitted is staggering. Meat production accounts for 14-22% of greenhouse gas production. The amount of energy we obtain from our food does not compare to the amount of energy we put into producing, processing, and transporting it. . In order to raise cattle, you should let them graze. When they graze, they eat. When they eat, they produce waste. Pretty straightforward, right? The only problem is that the waste is not taken care of. It just sits there. This wouldn't be such a problem but because we have so many cattle that this causes a great amount of CO2 to be emitted repeatedly everyday. Also, the cattle on concentrated feed lots (CAFOs) don't normally graze. They are fed a special type of corn that has been scientifically altered to grow quickly, in large quantities, and that makes the cattle bigger more quickly. Growing this crop on a massive scale also contributes to the carbon footprint. After the cattle has been raised it's taken to the slaughter house. The slaughterhouse is full of machinery that butcher the cattle and process it. These machines all require fuel and therefore emit large quantities of CO2. Finally, the meat is taken to grocery stores all over the country. Transportation within the United States will most likely be semi-trucks which use diesel. There are millions of grocery stores in our country which means a lot of semis operating to deliver these products. When you stop to think about the entire process you realize how much harm is being done to the environment just for a burger patty. For all we know, majority of the stuff in your patty probably isn't meat. If it is it has most likely been treated repeatedly with chemicals.
However, there are things you can do to lessen your impact on the environment. Buying local is a great way to help the environment. Not only do you help your local businesses and economy, but you minimize food miles. Food miles are the distance food travels from production to your dining room table. Obviously the farther food travels the more carbon is emitted. Buying local means your food is fresh and not processed too. It's a win-win. You get fresher, healthier food while helping the environment. Another thing you could do would be reducing the amount of beef you consume. It's a pretty safe bet that those in developed coutnries eat greater portions of food than they really should. If we cut down our portions we could also improve the health of those aruond us. Also, you could support better farming practices. Just because we need food doesn't mean we need to be abuse the environment to get it. The higher the demand is for meat the more companies will produce. That being said, couldn't we change that if we cut back on our consumption or bought local? Would companies take into account that the demand is going down? Would they change their ways in order to get better business? Maybe, maybe not. We'll never know until we try.
I know this may not seem like a huge issue to some people. However, the solution is so simple: be mindful of what you eat. Just because it's convenient doesn't mean it's the best option. Yes, I know local food can be expensive but think of the "food" you're eating right now. Healthier, more environmentally friendly food or processed foods that degrade the environment? The choice is yours.
If you want to learn more about how to make wise decisions about your food, check out Michael Pollan.
Source: vegetarian.procon.org/.../the_greenhouse_hamburger.pdf
