reports

Stopping eating animal products is one of the most effective ways an individual can reduce their contribution to global warming and environmental degradation.

Livestocks Long Shadow Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations report.
The livestock industry is responsible for the emergence of antibiotic resistance and many other human health problems.

The livestock industry is one of the top two or three most significant contributors to our most serious environmental problems.

Livestock are now 20% of animal biomass occupying 30% of the land. They are the major driver of deforestation and loss of wildlife habitat and a leading driver of land degradation, growing deserts, reduction of biodiversity, pollution, climate change, overfishing, coastal sedimentation, alien species invasions and resource conflicts.

Grazing takes up 26 % of the ice-free land. On top of that feed-crops use 33% of arable land. In all 30% of land and 70% of agricultural land .

The livestock industry has degraded about 20% of the world’s pastures and range lands (73% of range lands in dry areas) mostly through overgrazing, compaction and consequent erosion.

Livestock are responsible for 9% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions mostly from land-use changes – especially deforestation – caused by expansion of pastures and arable land for feed crops.

Livestock produce 37% of anthropogenic methane (methane has 23 times the global warming potential (GWP) of CO2) mostly from enteric fermentation by ruminants. It emits 65 percent of anthropogenic nitrous oxide (with 296 times the GWP of CO2), mostly from manure.

Livestock are responsible for almost two-thirds (64%) of anthropogenic ammonia emissions, which contribute significantly to acid rain and acidification of ecosystems.

The livestock industry takes up 8 percent of human water use, mostly for the irrigation of feed crops. It is probably the largest source of water pollution, contributing to dead zones in coastal areas and degradation of coral reefs.

denial
Parts of the meat and dairy industry and their proxies have started to dismiss the whole report and its findings on the basis of challenges to some of the data. Their commentaries seem similar to the tobacco industry's rearguard action rather than contributing to refining the nature and extent of the risks.

copyright (C) John Brasted 2008
updated 06/11/11

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