Most of the air pollution comes from what we eat. And in particular from the meat because the environmental impact of the bestecca is much more devastating than previously thought. More than half of the greenhouse gases produced by humans today are emitted by industrial livestock farms. Two American scientists Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang sound the alarm in the Livestock and Climate Change study published in the latest issue of World Watch magazine.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
Most of theair pollution it comes from what we eat. And in particular from the meat because the environmental impact of the bestecca is much more devastating than previously thought. More than half of the greenhouse gases produced by humans today are emitted by industrial livestock farms. Two American scientists Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang in the study sound the alarm Livestock and Climate Change published in the latest issue of World Watch magazine.
And actually also the FAO in 2006 with its dossier Livestock’s long shadow (The long shadow of the cattle) had shifted attention to the problem by noting that meat production was the cause of 18% of total CO2 emissions attributable to human activities, a percentage close to that attributable to industry and greater than that of the entire transport sector which amounts at 13%.
But the analysis carried out by American scientists goes further by attributing to livestock and its derivatives as much as 51% of the greenhouse gas emissions produced annually in the entire planet equivalent to 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide.
In short, in terms of greenhouse gases, it pollutes a steak more than a car and to give an idea, the two researchers give examples. So if the production of 225 grams of potatoes emits an amount of CO2 equal to that generated by driving a car for 300 meters, for the same amount of chicken the car will have to travel 1,17 km while for the beef as much as 15,8.
"To reverse the devastating trend that is inexorably changing the climate of planet Earth, it would be enough to replace animal products with those based on soy or others vegetable crops [...] This approach would have much more rapid effects on GHG emissions and the greenhouse effect than any other initiative to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy, ”said Goodland and Jeff Anhang.
Conclusions that are sure to please vegetarian and vegan around the world, but which should make everyone think. And not because we have to follow their example, but already the only one limit the consumption of meat and derivatives or perhaps eliminating them from our diets one day a week as recommended by Paul McCartney, in addition to making you feel better both physically and with your conscience, would have a very concrete effect on global warming. Also because of valid alternative alla carne there are many just as nutritious and tasty.
Simona Falasca
