Blog Post: Animal Products

Animal agriculture causes more environmental damage than the overwhelming amount of plastic waste.

When we think about improving the environment, we usually prioritize waste reduction. However, agriculture as a whole amounts for one-third of global greenhouse gas emission, half of which is from livestock. Animal agriculture is the leading cause of climate change, but most of us never even think about the impact our eating habits have on the environment.

Land

Instead of using land to grow food and directly feed humans, 56 million acres of land are used to feed animals while only 4 million produce plants for human consumption. 90% of all Amazon rainforest cleared since 1970 is used for livestock. 30% of the world’s surface is used to raise livestock.

Water

Freshwater around the world is used faster than it is replenished. Agriculture consumes 70% of global fresh water. It takes 2,400 gallons of water to produce just one pound of beef. It takes 683 gallons of water to produce 1 gallon of milk.

How Much Do We Eat?

Every year, 586 million tons of milk, 124 million tons of poultry, and 91 million tons of pork is produced and consumed. Altogether, the global demand for meat is 285 million tons annually. If all that meat was divided evenly among the world’s population, it would equal 80 pounds per person. However, on average, Americans eat 270 pounds of meat each.

What Can We Do?

The most important thing we can do to clean up the environment from the negative effects of animal agriculture is to simply eat less meat. Some countries who have realized the negative impact animal product demands have suggested citizens to change their diet to include one half of the current consumption of meat. However, even reducing our meat consumption does not stop the environmental destruction completely. The very best thing we can do for the environment is to stop eating meat entirely.

Veganism

Going Vegan has to do with more than just environmental concerns. Veganism includes moral and health concerns as well. However, the principle of Veganism is simple: removing anything that includes animal products: no meat, no dairy, no eggs. And that’s just the dietary aspect of Veganism. The entire lifestyle includes avoiding beauty and health products that are tested on animals as well. While it is very important to heavily research a vegan diet before removing animal products from your life, there are countless valuable resources to point you in the right direction: