Cross-posted from The Brandeis Hoot <http://thebrandeishoot.com/articles/7724>
By: Max Fischlowitz-Roberts 9 Apr. 2010
As we approach the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, know this: If you care about saving the planet, you’re better off driving a Hummer than eating a cheeseburger.
That’s the conclusion of “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” a 2006 report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (U.N.). The FAO estimated that animal agriculture is responsible for 18 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, more than all forms of transportation combined.
The Worldwatch Institute’s recent report, “Livestock and Climate Change,” released late last year, suggests the figure is closer to 50 percent, dwarfing the U.N.’s more conservative estimate. Whatever the specific percentage, the science is clear: Our appetite for hamburgers, milkshakes and omelettes is a major contributor to global climate change. The simplest way to combat climate change is to stop eating meat–or, at minimum, to replace some of the meat, dairy and eggs in our diets with plant-based foods.