Livestock production, especially factory farming, is responsible for 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. That means that demand for animal products is one of the biggest single factors fueling global climate change. Americans are particularly involved in creating those emissions because as of 2017 the United States has the highest per capita meat consumption of any country in the world.
Livestock production and factory farming are also linked to other environmental problems aside from climate change. A major cause of deforestation is the need for more grazing land to raise animals such as cattle. Chemical runoff from industrial animal production is linked to harmful algae blooms which threaten marine ecosystems. Factory farms with little space between animals are also potential breeding grounds for harmful diseases. It is no coincidence that the COVID-19 virus is thought to have originated in a market densely packed with live animals.
Reducing your consumption of animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy is one of the most powerful ways to lower your carbon footprint. Eating fewer animal products also reduces your contribution to other environmental problems such as ecosystem loss. Moreover, lowered demand for those products will also help reduce the profitability of industrial animal agriculture which will make the production of animal products more sustainable in the long term.
While going vegetarian or vegan are certainly the most effective measures you can take to lower your consumption of animal products, even small reductions can help. Reducing your meat intake by as little as ten percent can have huge benefits for your personal environmental impact. One way to try eating fewer animal products is by choosing to be vegetarian or vegan for just one day out of the week. Even a small change like that can be a powerful tool in the fight against climate change and environmental destruction.
Want to learn more? For more information on livestock production check out these sources!
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