animal agriculture climate change

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service—in conjunction with five partner Land Grant Institutions—is a part of a 5‐year project to address issues related to climate change and animal agriculture. Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane are the three most destructive GHG emissions in the atmosphere, comprising almost 98 percent of the total. Developing Extension Capacity to Address Issues Related to Climate Change and Animal Agriculture. 3Food and Agriculture Organization, “Livestock—Cattle,” 2010. Of that 1.9 billion acres: 778 million acres of private land are used for livestock grazing (for… 4United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), “Greenhouse Gas Emissions,” 28 May 2020. Animal agriculture puts a heavy strain on many of the Earth’s finite land, water and energy resources. 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. 51% of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by animal agriculture. January 2015 The US lower 48 states represents 1.9 billion acres. Ruminant animals, such as cattle, produce methane, which is roughly 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Nearly 85 percent of U.S. grazing lands cannot be used for crop production. An oft-used comparison that contributes to our flawed perception is that animal agriculture generates more human-caused greenhouse gas emissions (14-18 percent) than transportation (13.5 percent) globally. Beyond that, animal agriculture is terrible for human health. 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. One thing is certain: Animal agriculture definitely has a role to play in it. Animal agriculture is choking the Earth and making us sick. 1 agricultural source of greenhouse gases worldwide. We all have a responsibility to take action to reduce our carbon footprints, and the best way to do that is by ending our support of animal agriculture and going vegan. And consuming animal-derived foods weakens our immune systems and metabolic health. According to studies over the past few years, the growing public and governmental concern is that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are the greatest contributor to the global warming phenomenon. This is a serious issue, considering that globally, there are at least 1.4 billion cows, and that both methane and nitrous oxide have a much higher Global Warming Potential than carbon dioxide (CO2), meaning that they capture more heat in the atmosphere.3 Animal agriculture is the single largest source of methane emissions in the U.S.,4 and methane is 80 times more powerful than CO2 at warming the Earth over 20 years.5 Nitrous oxide is even more potent—it is 300 times more warming than CO2.6, As a result, even locally sourced or organic animal-derived foods are more taxing on the environment than vegan foods. A balanced diet should contain meat and poultry. An analysis found that the production of 1 kilogram of the beef that has the smallest carbon footprint emits at least 9 kilograms of CO2 equivalent (CO2e). For this reason, we could take the opportunity of mitigating global warming by regulating the livestock industry. 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). By submitting this form, you are agreeing to our collection, storage, use, and disclosure of your personal info in accordance with our privacy policy as well as to receiving e-mails from us. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?” READ MORE, — Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind. However, it is important to keep in mind that transportation is just one of the sources of fossil fuel combustion. 14CDC, “Climate and Health: Climate Effects on Health,” 20 July 2020. Industrial animal agriculture is responsible for the suffering and slaughter of trillions of animals each and every year around the globe. More than 1 million young people around the world have urged governments to prioritise measures to protect against the ravages of climate breakdown during the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. In summer 2003, record-high temperatures in Europe resulted in the deaths of at least 30,000 people.10 Climate change is also increasing the prevalence of allergens, both because of increased air pollution and because higher temperatures and CO2 levels can cause shifts in flowering time and pollen initiation.11 This can trigger respiratory allergies, asthma, and cardiovascular disease. The livestock sector generates 37 percent of human-caused methane emissions. These include the ability to produce feed-grain, the quality of pastures and forage crop production, animal health, growth, and reproduction, and disease and pest distributions. This course lesson by the Animal Agriculture in a Changing Climate Project describes the impacts of climate change on animal agriculture. Because methane has such a short half-life, drastic emission reductions could help us undo significant amounts of damage. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), the animal agriculture sector is responsible for approximately 18%, or nearly one-fifth, of human-induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In the United States, we rely heavily on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to supply us with GHG data. 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. Overuse of antibiotics in animals causes antibiotic resistance in animals and humans. “Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. However, it’s difficult to answer the question of how much we really impact the changes we witness. Owing to their specialized digestive systems, ruminant animals release methane and nitrous oxide every time they pass gas or feces. Chu lumped the greenhouse gas emissions from meat and dairy with other agricultural practices, such as fertilizer, and land-use changes, such as deforestation and soil disrupt… Each year, a single cow will belch about 220 pounds of methane. Both globally and in the U.S., energy production and … 1United Nations, “Rearing Cattle Produces More Greenhouse Gases Than Driving Cars, UN Report Warns,” UN News, 29 Nov. 2006. Environmental news and ways to live Green the facts above to benefit their agendas variety ways! To putting our planet, we need more drastic policies that take a stance. S forests clicking, people often suggest that going vegan is the important. Climate Project describes the impacts of climate change and human health: Risk and Responses, 2010. 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