Next time I'm at a dinner party feeling bad for being the 'difficult vegetarian', or when I'm having to defend myself against comments that I'm not observing the 'circle of life'...or even the next time I'm being chased around the room by a friend with a slice of ham, I shall remember this fact...That meat production is responsible for about 18% of global carbon emissions.
That is a serious amount. Methane (emitted by livestock with each bottom burp) is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a global warming gas.
Lord Stern said that a successful deal at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December would lead to soaring costs for meat and other foods that generate large quantities of greenhouse gases. He hopes that over time, as people begin to feel more responsible towards climate change issues, we will soon regard the consumption of meat in large quantities as unacceptable.
I really hope so. Not only will it help reduce methane emissions, with reduced demand the conditions for livestock should improve (which will make Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall very happy). And since most people eat way too much meat as it is, our general health should improve too. It'll also reduce the destruction of forest land for cattle ranching and the production of animal feeds such as soy. Yippee!
However, considering how frequently I am verbally abused, chased by ham + served the vegetarian staple of Mushroom Risotto, I cannot see this happening overnight.
This thought-provoking?! image was borrowed from queenofheartss @ deviantart.com - thanks!
