The Other Side: Meat

The Other Side will be a periodic feature where I take a break from spewing carbon into the atmosphere to present information that may help those who wish to reduce their carbon footprint in their endeavors. This time, we are going to talk about meat and it’s impact on global warming.

So you’re driving an energy-efficient car. Perhaps you even carpool or take the bus. You recycle whenever you can. You’ve replaced all of your incandescent bulbs with the very unnatural glow of the compact fluorescent bulb. But it’s all worth it right? You are making a difference right? Do you still eat meat? Then, not so much.

According to a report by the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organization, the global warming impact from livestock farming is greater than all major forms of transportation combined. That’s right, you could forever retire every automobile, airplane, train, and boat and the impact would be less than eliminating the entire livestock industry. Think about it, unless we are going to revert to the dark ages, we must have transportation. And since we do not yet have trains, planes, and automobiles powered by solar energy, any cutbacks in that sector are the smallest drop in the bucket.

If you are truly passionate about global warming and believe that you can and should take steps to make a difference, but still eat meat…you are a hypocrite! Eliminating meat from your diet will have an immediate and dramatic effect on greenhouse gas emissions. Put another way, don’t lecture me about the gnat buzzing me when you have a bull (literally) charging you.