According to the UN IPCC report “Livestock’s Long Shadow,” livestock production is the greatest contributor to global warming.
Animal waste and feed cropland dump more pollutants into our waterways than all other human activities combined.
Meat-based diets require 10-20 times as much land as plant-based diets – nearly half of the world's grains & soybeans are fed to animals.
Proportion of GHG emissions from different parts of livestock production
Livestock production emissions: 18% Global Transportation emissions: 13.5% 18% of all greenhouse-gas emissions from human activities, including: 9% of CO2 37% of CH4(methane) - 23 times the Global Warming Potential of CO2 over 100 years, 62 over 20 years 65% of N2O (nitrous oxide) -296 times the Global Warming Potential of CO2 over 100 years, 275 over 20 years Source: FAO, 2006 (1)
Producing 1kg beef:
Leads to the emission of greenhouse gases with a warming potential equivalent to 36.4 kg of CO2 .
Releases fertilising compounds equivalent to 340 g. of sulphur dioxide and 59 g. of phosphate Consumes 169 megajoules of energy .
1 kg of beef is responsible for the equivalent of the amount of CO2 emitted by the average European car every 250 km, and burns enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for 20 days .
Over two-thirds of the energy goes towards producing and transporting the animals' feed.
Source: Animal Science Journal, 2007
" the permafrost layer is melting each day. And the methane gas,or other gas even, are releasing into the atmosphere. I really hope and pray that someone is listening.Methane and nitrous oxide is made by stock raising, stock keeping, animals keeping. So they are far more poisonous, far more dangerous than CO2.
Because the atmosphere is getting warmer and so the methane is bubbling out. If we stop the worst cause of global warming,meaning stock raising, animal breeding,then we will be able to save the planet. We have to stop the killing of man or animals. We have to stop producing animals products. And we have to stop using it." - Supreme Master Ching Hai - 6 July 2008– London Conference (2)