Does Meat Eating Cause Global Warming?

Since the United Nations first declared global warming a worldwide emergency back in 1990, scientists, businesses and everyday citizens have been taking steps to combat the impending rise in temperature. From fuel efficient cars and energy saving light bulbs to eco-friendly homes and religious recycling, most people seem happy to do their bit. Yet recent research from the U.N. suggests a new solution – vegetarianism. With the agricultural industry accounting for an enormous 51% of global greenhouse emissions, it’s not hard to see why they arrived at this conclusion!

Over 60 years have passed since the Great Smog of London caused the deaths of around 4,000 people – which then led to the development of the Clean Air Act of 1956. And, while the Clean Air Act introduced a number of measures to tackle air pollution, as discussed in this article, Clean Air – Still a Political Objective After 60 Years, do we now require a new act to tackle the pollution caused by meat eating?

Professor Edgar Hertwich, head author of the report explains, “Animal products cause more damage than [producing] construction minerals such as sand or cement, plastics or metals. Biomass and crops for animals are as damaging as [burning] fossil fuels.”

But does meat eating really cause global warming? While it’s not the sole culprit, when you look at the stats it’s impossible to deny that it doesn’t contribute quite significantly to the greenhouse effect.

Carbon Dioxide

The agricultural industry is one of the world’s largest CO2 emitting sectors, with livestock production alone contributing 9% of the planet’s total CO2 output. While the production of 1kg of apples emits just 550g of CO2 and 1kg of bread around 650g, the same amount of beef racks up a colossal 13.3 kg. That’s the equivalent of burning six litres of petrol! This is largely due to the fact that farmed animals must be fed, watered, slaughtered, processed, transported and stored – stages that are incredibly energy-intensive. As well as a huge output of energy, deforestation of land to make space for farms and fields instantly limits the earth’s ability to remove CO2 from the air. Want further proof? A recent German study revealed that the diet of a meat eater accounts for seven times more CO2 emissions than that of a vegan.  

Methane

People joke about the environmental impact of animal flatulence, however according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, it’s no laughing matter. Agriculture is the largest source of methane on the planet, representing a huge 37% of total emissions. And it’s not just cows excreting the heat trapping greenhouse gas. Chickens, pigs and turkeys are also major culprits!

Recently, Researchers in Denmark measured the quantities of greenhouse gases in dairy cow's breath and demonstrated a heritable variability between individual animals.  “This means that we have an opportunity to select for breeding those individuals which will produce offspring that generate less methane,” says Dr Jan Lassen, who led the research project on individual methane measurements from dairy cows at Aarhus University. To read more on this topic, take a look at: Research Highlights Cattle Emissions Reduction Opportunity.

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide traps heat 300 times more efficiently than CO2. With agriculture accounting for 65% of worldwide emissions, meat eaters definitely play a significant role in fuelling the effects of global warming.

“A substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change, away from animal products,” adds Hertwich. 

With the global population estimated to hit 9.1 billion by 2050, a diet rich in meat and dairy products simply isn’t sustainable – no matter how tempting that juicy steak or plate of ribs may be.