Beef: As Bad For the Environment As the Hummer?

February 17, 2009

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When it comes to global warming, Hamburgers are the Hummers of food. That’s because beef is an inefficient food to produce and cows release a large amount of methane into the atmosphere, according to Nathan Pelletier of Dalhousie University in Canada, AP reports.

Although beef only accounts for 30 percent of meat consumption in the developed world, it’s responsible for 78 percent of the emissions. A single kilogram of beef produces 16 kilograms CO2 equivalent emissions: four times higher than pork and more than ten times more than a kilogram of poultry, said Pelletier.

If meat consumption in the developed world was cut from the current level of about 90 kilograms per year, to the recommended level of 53 kilograms annually, meat associated emissions would drop by 44 percent, Pelletier told Science News.

“Switching to no red meat and no dairy products is the equivalent of (cutting out) 8,100 miles driven in a car,” Chris Weber, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University told AP.

Last summer, the EPA warned the dairy industry that it would soon start regulating GHG emissions. Farmers began lobbying fiercely against the potential “cow tax” which would tax them for the methane that livestock emit.

In the UK, some farmers have put their cows on a special diet in order to reduce GHG emissions.

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Reader Comments

Oh, here we go. Next thing you know, they’ll be restricting what we can eat or drink. The nanny governments and those who worship in the church of environmentalism are doing their dead level best to rid the world of productive industries, but apparently that isn’t good enough for them. I suppose they want everyone to be as miserable as they are.

Glennis | February 18th, 2009

The types of “global warming” analyses that are now being carried out such as reported in this article about the horrors of beef consumption or others about orange juice or video games are absurd. As a lifelong environmental scientist and head of an state environmental regulatory bureau (KS Bureau of Waste Management), I am frustrated and saddened by the waste of time and efforts to deal with this issue. I believe time will show this fear to be a non-issue similar to what happened with the Y2K scare. Everywhere we turn we see articles about the doom that awaits us if we do not save ourselves from this threat. People who are so infatuated with global warming/climate change generally fall into two primary categories: (1) those who truly believe in the theory and have adopted and are promoting various irrational behaviors to save ourselves from the coming doom, and (2) those who see this as an opportunity to make money. In a conservative state like Kansas, most people do not believe in Global warming, but many are playing the game nonetheless because they want to cash in on the carbon credits system that is forming. All of those “carbon” dollar must be coming out of someone’s pocket and during this time of economic hardship it will only worsen conditions.

Bill Bider | February 18th, 2009

It only makes sense. Cows are bad for the environment, and the bottom line is that we must take care of the environment. Keep in mind that the main culprits are disgusting corporations such as McDonalds and their ilk. Why not make them illegal? On reading the comment below… of course governments will be controlling what we eat and drink. Unless you grow your own food, you will have to expect that. Learn to be self sufficient – the time has come!

benedict | February 18th, 2009

When people don’t get the big picture and movements have to be sold one regulation at a time, is it really that surprising that we are now measuring the carbon output of everything? We just need to consume LESS… of everything, including beef and the substitutes for beef. We are a species that does not see long-term, gradual destruction. If we did we would inherently be efficient creatures and wouldn’t need articles like this. Glennis, way to sound like an early 20th century oil tycoon.

newphase75 | February 18th, 2009

Beef Its whats for Dinner! You know only 50% of those are actually for the food, the rest are for by-products. By-Products which go every-where, into medicines, dog foor, motor-oil, tires, antifreeze, asphalt, crayons, clothing, toothpaste, Brake Fluid, soap, rubber gloves, candles,glues, candies, bubble gum, wallpaper, sand paper, linoleum, paint brushes, emery boards, combs, and many more. Beef also provides healthy nutrients, like zip (zinc, iron and protien), vitamin B12, riboflavin, choline( beef is the best source for this, according to the fda), selenium, phosphhorus, niacin, and Vitamin B6. Also Global Warming is a cycle, it has to do with pangea, and the moving of the continents, global warming, is in fact the polar regions moving towards the equator, where they will get more sunlight and temperatures shall rise. We cannot stop that. And its my Job, no my duty, purpose, and honor to promote the beef industry, because I am a junior beef ambassador! If you have any more questions, or comments feel free to email me at JrKcAmbassador@aol.com

Parker Crouse | April 27th, 2009