We are seeing tipping points, not just in theoretical scenarios anymore; we are witnessing them in the real world.

“A substantial reduction of [environmental] impacts would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change, away from animal products.”

That was a concluding statement cited from a 112-page report launched by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the European Commission on June 5, 2010, coinciding with World Environment Day. It has been presented to world government leaders of the United Nations.

The study, titled “Assessing Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production: Priority Products and Materials,” identified two leading causes of environmental pressure: one is fossil fuels and the other is agriculture, with specific attention given to the livestock raising sector. The report called for radical change in the way that economies use natural resources known to be dwindling at alarming rates.

Production of livestock, in particular meat products, is an enormously intense one in terms of consumption of resources.

If we seriously want to talk about the questions of biodiversity, of water quality, nitrates pollution, of the CO2 emissions… If we seriously want to talk about that we have to ask for the help of farmers also.

In today’s program, we present the main findings from this UNEP report by the Working Group on the Environmental Impacts of Products and Materials to the International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management.

“A wealth of studies is available that have helped to assess the most important causes of environmental impacts from a production, consumption and materials perspective. These different studies, and different perspectives points, paint a consistent overall picture.

a. Agriculture and food consumption are identified as one of the most important drivers of environmental pressures, especially habitat change, climate change, fish depletion, water use and toxic emissions.

b. The use of fossil fuels for heating, transportation, materials production and the production and use of electrical appliances is of comparable importance, causing the depletion of fossil energy resources, climate change, and a wide range of emissions-related impacts. The impacts related to these activities are unlikely to be reduced, but rather enhanced, in a business as usual scenario for the future.

This study showed that CO2 emissions are highly correlated with income. Population and economic growth will hence lead to higher impacts, unless patterns of production and consumption can be changed.”

“Water use is an important environmental pressure in various parts of the world. Agriculture is by far the most important use: over 70% of the global freshwater consumption is used in that sector. Note that water pollution problems by production processes are discussed in the section on toxic substances. Agriculture is also the most important user of land. According to the FAO database, about 38% of the total world’s land area is used for agriculture in 2007.

“Findings and Conclusions”

The production perspective: priority economic activities “Perceiving the economy in terms of activities or sectors provides a means of attributing environmental impacts to the economic system, and allows the following conclusions to be drawn: - Production processes involving fossil fuel combustion. Activities involving combustion of large quantities of fossil fuels, such as electrical utilities, metal production, residential heating, trans¬portation and energy intensive industries are among the top contributors to climate change, abiotic resources depletion, and sometimes to eutrophication, acidification and toxicity.

Particularly fossil fuel power plants, being responsible for the largest fossil fuel consumption, contribute to these problems. The extraction and processing of fossil fuels also causes substantial impacts. - Agriculture and biomass using activities. In spite of its limited share of value added in developed countries, this sector is related to many environmental impacts. The sector is responsible for by far the most of the land and water use globally, leading to habitat loss and other negative impacts on ecosystems.

The use of agrochemicals is related to ecotoxicity, eutrophication and depletion of phosphorus stocks. Intensive agriculture is related to substantial energy use. The loss of soil and biomass carbon can contribute to climate change. Invasive species problems are also connected to agriculture: crops, pests and biological pest control all are associated with invasive species-related problems.

On the other hand, agriculture can also contribute to environmental solutions, e.g. by binding carbon in the soil, increase biodiversity through diverse habitats. The impacts of agriculture thus depend to a substantial degree on specific aspects of the activities and hence the resource management regime. - Fisheries. Overexploitation of resources is clearly associated with this sector, as well as relatively high emissions from industrial fisheries. This sector certainly deserves attention from an environmental impact point of view.”

The consumption perspective: priority consumption clusters “The following consumption clusters contribute substantially to total environmental pressures: - Food. Food production is the most significant influence on land use and therefore habitat change, water use, overexploitation of fisheries and pollution with nitrogen and phosphorus. In poorer countries, it is also the most important cause of emissions of greenhouse gases (methane and nitrous oxide). Both emissions and land use depend strongly on diets.

Animal products, both meat and dairy, in general require more resources and cause higher emissions than plant-based alternatives. In addition, non-seasonal fruits and vegetables cause substantial emissions when grown in greenhouses, preserved in a frozen state, or transported by air. As total food consumption and the share of animal calories increase with wealth, nutrition for rich countries tends to cause higher environmental impacts than for poor countries.

Following food, the next priority consumption clusters identified as contributing substantially to total environmental pressures are: housing, mobility, and manufactured products (particularly electrical appliances). When we return, we’ll continue with the rest of the findings and conclusions of this UNEP report. Please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television.

We are at the stage where the issue of sustainable consumption which has long been talked about in the corridors and in the backrooms but never frontally as an important item in public policy has now come to the fore, is now very much on the tables of governments and the United Nations system.

And so what I see is that meat has a higher energy use per calorie produced or per kilogram produced than vegetables. That is something that we have found from our studies.

If we spread our limited resources too thinly, and hope that everything is profitable, we will lose. We have to find priorities and this report is about finding priorities.

Welcome back to today’s program featuring excerpts on the findings of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report authored by a Working Group to the International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management.

The material perspective: priority materials “From assessments of resource categories and materials, the following conclusions can be drawn with regard to their environmental impacts:

- Fossil fuel extraction is not only one of the most important material flow in mass terms, it is also one of the most important sources of environmental degradation. It is linked to mining and all its local ecosystem impacts and the combustion of the fuels for electricity, heat or transport causes the largest emissions of GHG, especially CO2. Fossil fuels are also the source of many other air emissions…

- Agricultural materials, especially animal products, are also a very important material flow in terms of their contribution to a large number of impact categories. Animal products are important because more than half of the world’s crops are used to feed animals, not people. Land and water use, pollution with nitrogen and phosphorus, and GHG emissions from land use and fossil fuel use cause substantial environmental impacts.”

Integrated conclusions and future outlook Integration: “As shown in Chapter 2, economic activities pose already a significant strain on particularly ecosystem health and resource availability. There is over-exploitation of fisheries and to a lesser extent forests.

The risks related to climate change and related fossil energy use have been extensively described in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) review (IPCC, 2007) and the Stern report (Stern, 2006).” “From the assessment in the previous sections, some general conclusions can be drawn with regard to priorities contributing most to the environmental problems indicated above:

1. Energy and fossil fuels, and therefore the sectors, consumption clusters and materials that are energy-intensive, stand out as a very large source of environmental degradation. 2. Agriculture and food is another societal area responsible for very large impacts on the environment. More than fossil fuels, agricultural activities directly influence ecosystems by occupying large land areas and using huge quantities of water.”

Future outlook: “With the economic system now already putting significant pressure on the environment, the following outline can be given on important factors for future developments. In general, the next decades will see still a significant population growth. It is expected that by 2050, nine to ten billion people will populate the Earth – a growth of 50%. …

It hence must be expected that the big trends of population growth, increasing wealth, and increasing urbanization will make pressures on the environment only higher than today, unless patterns of production and consumption can be changed. Impact reduction strategies may include the shift to clean and efficient technologies (production perspective), shifts to less material-based, more sustainable life styles, as well as the use of low impact products (consumption perspective), and the use of low impact materials (materials perspective).”

“Looking at the most critical economic activities, those related to fossil fuels and agriculture, the following can be said. 1. Fossil fuels are the subject of energy policies. In view of their negative environmental impacts, alternative sources of energy are identified and increasingly used. Nevertheless, energy scenario modelling until 2050 shows a continued dependency on fossil fuels.

It takes time to develop new technologies and implement them on a large scale and alternative sources of energy also have drawbacks. These considerations call for a substitution away from energy- intensive production, consumption and materials and an increase in energy efficiency. The environmental and resource implications of new energy sources should be carefully assessed before their widespread adoption.

2. Impacts from agriculture are expected to increase substantially due to population growth, increasing consumption of animal products. Unlike fossil fuels, it is difficult to look for alternatives: people have to eat. A substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change, away from animal products.”

Therefore, the panel is saying that, yes, let us change our lifestyles. Reducing meat consumption is part of the solution in a world with soon 9 billion people.

This is a time now for a report such as this to help the analysis and the decision making of governments and entities everywhere.

Our appreciation, United Nations Environment Program, European Commission and International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management scientists for this report. To our viewers, thank you for your presence on today’s program. It is also available free of charge online for everyone at

As the report urgently recommended, may world leaders and co-citizens alike shift away from animal products in their diet as it is necessary for a safe and livable future for all. Now, please stay tuned to Supreme Master Television for Words of Wisdom, after Noteworthy News. May wisdom and courage give wings to your planet-saving endeavors.