To what extent do meat industries have an impact on global warming?

When people were asked ‘ what do you think is the greatest source of green house gases?’ they answer with ‘its because of the fumes and gases from vehicles, industries, and because we leave the lights on and take long showers and waste electricity and water’. These answers are partly true; these contribute to 13% of global greenhouse gasses. However, the question has still not been answered because we are forgetting one very significant factor of global warming, 18% of global greenhouse gases are caused by livestock farming that is 40% more than all forms of transport (vegansa.com). Factory farming has a larger impact on global warming than all the vehicles combined. The dairy cow that’s producing 8000 to 1000 liters of milk every year will produce around 500 to 700 liters of methane every day and methane is 23 times more effective at preventing infrared radiation from escaping the planet than carbon dioxide. (slate.com) (topdocumentaryfilms.com).

maxandruffys.com claims that The 70% of grain currently fed to US livestock could feed about 800 million people. 441 gallons of water is needed to produce one pound of meat while only 14 gallons are needed to produce one pound of wheat. Considering these statistics I believe meat industry is not only harmful for the environment and nature but it also affects the society and the world.

Meat industry has a huge impact on global warming. I would like to refer to the documentary ‘Meat the Truth’ from the website topdocumentaryfilms.com. This is a documentary made by The Nicolaas G. Pierson Foundation as known as the NGPF. The NGPF is the scientific bureau of the Party for the Animals. The world premiere of Meat the Truth was held on 10th December 2007 in Amsterdam. The international version of the film premiered in Leicester Square, London on 19th May 2008. This documentary was made public on YouTube on March 31, 2010. In this documentary the NGPF aims to perform scientific study and raise public awareness and recognition of social issues, especially with regards to animal well being, animal rights, sustainability and nature.

This documentary has succeeded in drawing public attention towards the issue of global warming and its very significant factor, livestock and factory farming. The statistics on greenhouse gas emissions used in the film are derived from and have been verified by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN (FAO). Monique van Dijk Armor is the producer of this documentary and when asked ‘What inspired you to undertake this project?’ he answered, ‘We hear about greenhouse gas emissions caused by cars, trucks, planes and industry, but never about one of the biggest causes: livestock farming! The information was out there, but the general public hadn’t heard about it.’ Therefore the NGPF was inspired to make this documentary to spread awareness regarding this relatively unknown element of global warming.

The purpose of this documentary was to inform people of this global issue. Clearly, the NGPF has reflected on the present issue of global warming. From this documentary we can tell that the NGPF is against meat industries and factory farming, the NGPF is encouraging people to become vegans and save the Earth. This documentary is very relevant to my research question as it talks about how much meat industry affects global warming. This documentary provides factual data like ‘to make animal products we need 10 times as much land as we need to produce vegetable products’ and ‘ ‘in a lifetime, the average European will eat 7 sheep, 24 rabbits, 43 turkeys, 789 fish, third of a horse, 5 cows, 42 pigs and 900 chickens’ and each of these animals have a carbon footprint of their own which contributes to global warming.

This documentary has not stated exactly how livestock effects global warming. It does state facts and data about how much factory farming effects the Earth but how do these animals release greenhouse gases and what do these greenhouse gases do to the Earth? Basic information like what is global warming and how greenhouse gases are related to it are not mentioned. This documentary could also give more information on why global warming is an important issue and why is it important to act on it immediately.

Another source, which agrees with the NGPF, is the WorldWatch Institute. The following is an extract taken from and article published in World Watch Magazine in July 2004. Lester Brown founded the WorldWatch Institute in 1974 as an independent research institute devoted to global environmental concerns. WorldWatch Institute aims to create a better and sustainable world and this website does not particularly represent any ‘side’ of an argument, instead it supports whatever is best for the environment. The author of this article is Pete Hodgson, New Zealand Minister for Energy, Science, and Fisheries.

“Global warming is driven by energy consumption, to the extent that the principal energy sources are carbon-rich fuels that, when burned, emit carbon dioxide or other planet-blanketing gases. As noted above, the production and delivery of meat helps drive up the use of such fuels. But livestock also emit global-warming gases directly, as a by- product of digestion. Cattle send a significant amount of methane, a potent global-warming gas, into the air. The environmental group Earth Save recommends a major reduction in the world’s cattle population, which currently numbers about 1.3 billion.

One ton of methane, the chief agricultural greenhouse gas, has the global warming potential of 23 tons of carbon dioxide. A dairy cow produces about 75 kilograms of methane a year, equivalent to over 1.5 [metric] tons of carbon dioxide. The cow, of course, is only doing what comes naturally. But people are inclined to forget, it seems, that farming is an industry. We cleared the land, sowed the pasture, bred the stock, and so on. It’s a human business, not a natural one. We’re pretty good at it, which is why atmospheric concentrations of methane increased by 150 percent over the past 250 years, while carbon dioxide concentrations increased by 30 percent.”

In this article Hodgson uses large amounts of detailed facts and figures on how much livestock affects global warming and how global warming has increased dramatically in the recent years. From this article we can tell that Pete Hodgson is against meat eating and is spreading awareness on how our meal affects the environment. Pete Hodgson has given shocking statistics, which add value to this article as these numbers take the reader aback. Though this article is very interesting and detailed, Pete Hodgson has given limited information on what the solution to this problem could be. The conclusion to this controversy has not been mentioned in this article.

The previous sources have indicated how meat industry has a large impact on global warming, however my next source is going to talk about the opposite. Meat industry has a small-scale impact on global warming. The following is an article taken from Meat Trade News Daily presenting arguments for meat industry.

MeatTradeNewsDaily.com is an E- Newsletter about anything and everything that goes on in and around meat industry. The Webmaster of this site is William Hayes, an expert in the meat industry, with over 50 years of experience in trade. He aims to spread information of what goes inside meat industry. The first news article on this website was published on Sunday 03 May 2009. This article was published on 07 Nov 2010.

“I've got news for you vegans -- a new meat missionary is out to convert you all. Simon Fairlie, author of Meat, a Benign Extravagance, has already turned George Monbiot, a high-profile English vegan activist. George's vegan retraction "I was wrong about veganism" is a delicious read for carnivores.

I've had plenty of arguments with vegan activists who think soy burgers are more environmentally friendly than grass-fed beef, and frankly, I'm sick of this nonsense. Soy-based foods and other fake meat products are incredibly processed and come from environmentally unfriendly monoculture farms. They're a disaster.

But fine, you vegans have a point about most meat, milk, and egg production being cruel to animals and inefficient. So how did Fairlie turn George the Vegan?

  

It's all about which meat you eat and how it's raised. Fairlie says that small-scale, holistic-minded farms that raise animals on pastures can actually be very efficient and earth-friendly -- especially when those animals are eating foods humans don't eat. Let me count the ways.

1. Pasture-raised pigs can eat whey (a dairy byproduct), leftovers, and agriculture waste. They turn waste into food!

2. Cows eat grass and other "weeds" and they aerate the ground, which helps produce more grass, which puts more clean oxygen into the atmosphere.

3. Many vegetable oils have a larger carbon footprint than animal fats.

4. Farm animals on a well-managed farm can help fertilize crops.

5. Raising livestock the "slow" way helps us all value our food and farmers more, and encourages us to eat more carefully.

And by the way, that famous UN claim that livestock generates 18% of global carbon emissions is wrong; the report lumped in deforestation from logging and development (not farm-related) and included other errors.

Keep in mind; Fairlie isn't advocating a big, fat, carnivore meat fest every day. He only eats meat twice a week and thinks we could all stand to reduce our consumption. Eating meat less often is actually how I make eating more expensive pasture-raised meat affordable. Buying direct from farmers is another way -- yes, you can even do that in Brooklyn!

And so, I raise my bug-fed chicken leg in a toast to carnivores everywhere. Let us eat meat -- but thoughtfully and in moderation.”

This document exists because William Hayes felt the need to give counter arguments to vegans on how meat industry is actually good for the environment. This article tells us that livestock actually helps the environment by consuming waste and weeds. William Hayes also highlights the fact that ‘many vegetable oils have a larger carbon footprint than animal fats’ which makes a very sturdy argument and gives the reader something to think about. This article tells us that William Hayes has strong opinions for meat industry and believes that it is a great way of supplying food to the world. William Hayes published this article on his website to make this piece of information and very interesting data public and visible to the world to let everyone know that veganism is not a way out of global warming. Through this article William Hayes has been able to express his feelings on veganism and meat eating.

Before this article was published, majority started believing that meat eating is harmful for the environment and as a result many even turned into vegans. This mass transfer from carnivores to herbivores affected the meat industry as the sales of meat rapidly decreased. William Hayes’s industry was affected as well and he posted this article to display the truth to the world and demonstrate his opinion on how meat industry actually helps the nature and environment. To make this article stronger William Hayes could have explained further on how the UN had a false interpretation of the carbon emissions from livestock. William Hayes could also mention how global warming should be stopped, if veganism is not the answer then what is?

Irrespective of being vegan or a meat eater both have a common understanding that global warming is an issue, which needs to be attended immediately. Personally I just might never be able to eat meat but I respect other people’s preferences. However, I would like to urge everybody to manage his or her food habits responsibly. Since you have been exposed to both sides of the fence, you can better appreciate the pros and cons of eating or not eating meat, of course, the choice is your. A balanced approach which can help this beautiful planet of ours and preserve it for the coming generations.

Three Main Sources-

"Meat the Truth." Top Documentary Films RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/meat-the-truth/>.

"Is Meat Sustainable?" Worldwatch Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.worldwatch.org/node/549>.

"UK - Meat Industry Good for Environment." UK - Meat Industry Good for Environment. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/news/021110/uk___meat_industry_good_for_environment_.aspx>.

Other Sources-

"A New Convert for New Reasons." Veganism. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.vegansa.com/veganism-and-the-environment.php>.

Koerner, Brendan. "The Other Greenhouse Gases." Slate.com. N.p., 27 Nov. 2007. Web. <http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2007/11/the_other_greenhouse_gases.html>.

"Environmental Impacts of the Meat Industry." Max and Ruffys RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://maxandruffys.com/environmental-impacts-of-the-meat-industry/>.

"About the Film." « Meat The Truth. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. 

"About the Film." « Meat The Truth. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. <http://www.meatthetruth.nl/en/about-the-film/>.

About "The Masque of the Red Death" -By Edgar Allen Poem

This story aims to create a sense of celebration as well as horror through its use of setting and vivid imagery.

Edgar Allen Poem gives a very detailed description of the setting using all kinds of imagery such as visual imagery when he writes, “blood tinted panes” and “dull, heavy, monotonous clang” which is auditory imagery. These words scare the reader and the reader becomes both afraid of and excited for what is going to happen next. When the author says, “stiffened corpse” he arouses terror in the reader’s heart and accomplishes his aim of frightening the reader.

Even though this story is petrifying, Edgar Allen Poem builds up a setting of festivity. This is done by creating a ceremonial vision in the readers mind using words like “laughter” and “there were ballet dancers, there were musicians, there was beauty, there was wine”. With this the reader can imagine a scene of partying and that’s how Edgar Allen Poem makes his feeling of celebration clear to the reader, by using imagery to describe his setting.

The use of vivid imagery while forming the setting is highly effective as this makes it easier for the reader to picture the situation or scenario and understand what the author is trying to convey.

Short Story ( The Dilemma)

The Dilemma

A thousand thoughts were swirling through her mind as she examined the crack on her laptop screen. The black screen looked polluted from the white cracks. She felt her eyes bubbling with tears and with a blink they spilled down her white cheeks. She had been shaking from head to toe since she had dropped her laptop from her bedside table. She spent hours thinking of what she would do next but nothing except the image of her cracked laptop screen could stay in her mind.

She tried to clear her thoughts and looked out of the window. Living next to the beach was the only thing she liked about her life. She lived in a small apartment over a snack bar in which her mother spent most of her time. The small snack bar was the only source of income to this small family of two.
Outside the window, the coconut trees reached high into the sky as if they wanted to bring the stars down to the ground. Couple of coconuts hung in the midst of leaves just about to fall, looking like 3 brown bowling balls hanging on a thin breakable thread. The most beautiful feature was the multicolored sunset. The orange sunlight spread in horizontal lines, eventually merged into the blue starry sky and then all black. But then of course, even the magnificent nature couldn’t help solve her problem.

Another thought zoomed through her mind. Could it be possible to hide the laptop from her mother till she gathers enough money to get the screen fixed? She could work with a broken screen but she would not be able to hold the guilt in her heart of keeping something hidden from her mother, who raised her all by herself all these years. Her mother was her closest confidante, always wanted the best for her. She sent her to he best school, which was far too expensive for them but nevertheless, she did not want to make any kind of compromise when it came to educating her only daughter.

 She had told her mother that she did not need the laptop even though she knew she couldn’t do without it but her mother had insisted and said, “I am not going to take any shortcuts in your education”. She still remembers the day they bought this most expensive gadget in the house and how her mother and she together had made rules like ‘no drinking and eating near the laptop’, in addition to adjusting their budget, they had to cut shot on other expenditure to compensate for this huge burden.
The last time a situation like this was built was when she had lost her first pen and couldn’t gather the courage to tell her mother about it. That night, when her mother sat down to tell her a bedtime story, she must have noticed her guilty expressions before she asked ‘is something wrong, sweetie?’ she blurted out the truth to her mother and it felt like a load off her shoulders as she let her tears flow. As a reaction her mother simply smiled and said ‘never be afraid of telling me the truth’ and she smiled when a new pen appeared in her pencil box the next day.

Thinking of how much her mother did for her from the beginning, she decided that it would be tantamount to a sin to keep this accident as a secret from her.She gained confidence in her honesty in every step she took towards her mother’s room. “Mom, I have to tell you something”