For many reasons, meat production and consumption are deeply unsustainable for the planet. When it comes to its resource usage and degradation, carbon emissions, and more, the meat industry is hurting the environment. However, with small lifestyle changes and more conscious choices, everyone can have a positive impact.
Deforestation must occur in many cases to make space in order to acquire farmland. It has been found that one-third of Earth’s forests have been destroyed to be used for agriculture. The farmland required to raise animals and grow crops to feed them is immense. In fact, half of the habitable land on Earth is used for agriculture, with most of that space being used for grazing animals, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The other agricultural space is used to grow crops, half of which is eaten by the animals.
The way that the farmland is used also has negative effects on the environment. By 2050, it’s even posited that “soil erosion could cause a loss of 75 billion tons of soil,” according to UN researchers. This is due to planting the same crops in the same soil with no variety, which can lead to diseases. Additionally, the meat industry is largely inefficient when it comes to resource usage. Producing just one pound of beef can use up to 2,400 gallons of water between the animal itself and the crops that it eats.
The greenhouse gas or carbon emissions related to the meat industry are also detrimental. In short, greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide trap heat in the atmosphere, which is why the production of them is such a large problem. The estimated carbon footprint of “livestock farming contributes 18% of human produced greenhouse gas emissions worldwide,” according to researchers Francis Vergunst and Julian Savulescu. These emissions are due to a number of processes, but in the realm of livestock farming, animals will release methane as they digest. Methane is an incredibly potent greenhouse gas that can trap 100 times as much heat as carbon dioxide, according to climate writer Blisse Kong. This natural process is amplified when large amounts of animals are in one cramped area compared to fewer animals spread over a greater area. On a larger scale, the industrial side of meat production causes plenty of problems. Factories and machines used to grow crops, feed livestock, and eventually kill them for meat add to the carbon emissions that ultimately negatively impact the environment.
Thankfully, Stevens has one notable initiative to reduce meat consumption: Meatless Mondays. In the dining hall, each of the main entrees is plant-based or generally not made with meat. Meatless Monday is a popular action taken to reduce meat consumption for dietary and sustainability reasons. It provides some of the benefits of a vegetarian diet without the same level of commitment. Experts have stated that reducing meat consumption is a necessary step to having a sustainable diet. However, eating sustainably doesn’t have to mean quitting some of your favorite foods, such as cold turkey. There are plenty of options beyond vegetarian and vegan in which you can be more environmentally-friendly, so small steps not only count but they matter towards a greener future.
