With the climate generally growing warmer, and with animal agriculture contributing more than its fair share of greenhouse gases and other pollutants to the environment, more and more environmentalists and people, in general, are going plant-based. This article is a part of a series of articles on the environmental impact of the animal agriculture (ag) industry.
What were the environmental effects of the foods you ate today?
Industrial animal agriculture is a hugely devastating industry for humans, for animals, and for the planet.
Growing feedstock for animals means acres of rainforest are cleared for soybeans; methane emissions from CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) are one of the leading causes of climate change; the resulting manure pollutes local waterways and air; and the crowded conditions of CAFOs lead to high rates of sickness and infection, leading to excessive use of antibiotics — which makes these vital medicines less effective for humans (in fact, farm animals receive approximately 80% of the antibiotics sold in the US).
Our #FakePresident has removed the United States from the Paris climate accords, leading some Americans to experience ecoanxiety. That’s a relatively new term that the American Psychological Association has used to describe the feelings of dread and helplessness that follow from “watching the slow and seemingly irrevocable impacts of climate change unfold, and worrying about the future for oneself, children, and later generations.” As it turns out, there is something any one of us can do and it involves no marches on Washington or angry letters to elected officials. All we have to do is eat beans instead of beef.
For years I’ve been reading about the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle. Beef production creates more CO2 than autos, factory farm conditions are unhealthy and awful, and veggies are healthier too! But let me be frank: I really really really like bacon. I can cut down on my meat intake, … [continued]
