The Future is Non Dairy

Written by Emile Stragyte

There is a lot of debate about the effects of beef and dairy on our health. However, there should be no debate when it comes to their impact on the environment. The way beef is produced and consumed today has made it to be one of the driving forces behind climate change. Cutting beef and dairy out of our daily menus is a necessary step to tackle this global issue.

The estimated “greenhouse gas production per serving of chicken or pork is about 20 percent that of a serving of beef” (NYT). Raising livestock requires a lot of land. We cut forests for it. Besides, cows generate methane causing “almost 10 percent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions” (NYT). Even cow dung is a pollutant as it consists of nitrous oxide - “a climate-warming pollutant 298 times more powerful than carbon dioxide” (NRDC). To raise cows, you need to use a lot of grain to feed them which requires pesticides and fertilisers - a significant source of global warming pollution (NRDC). The negative effects are numerous.

Tamar Haspel writes in Washington Post that giving up beef once a week for beans - just once a week - “over the course of a year, is the equivalent of not burning 38 gallons of gas, or of trading in 12 incandescent bulbs for LED. That 331 kg is equal to about 5 percent of the average household’s electricity use.” Sounds unbelievable? There are more studies and data which show the detrimental effects of beef and dairy production and consumption.

Click below for Further Reading!

The Real Problem with Beef

To Shrink Your Carbon Footprint, Ease Up on the Dairy

Here’s how much giving up beef helps — or doesn’t help — the planet Fed Up with Our Dysfunctional Food System

You want to reduce the carbon footprint of your food? Focus on what you eat, not whether your food is local

DISCLAIMER: The contents of this website are solely owned by the author of each article and does not represent the views of the Awareness Committee or the Editorial team.