The excessive demand for meat
and increase in livestock farming
have led to environmental
problems, such as emission of
greenhouse gasses, and the
subsequent global warming. The annual meat consumption in
China is a staggering 71 million
tons. This is more than double
the meat consumed in the United
States. When you open your mouth to
take a big bite of your huge beef
burger, do you ever stop and
think about the environment?
While having that extra cheese-
filled beef burger may be
wreaking havoc on your health, it
is nothing compared to what it
does to the environment. We all
know about the impact of
pollution from cars and factories
on the environment. However,
what very few people realize is
that their diets, specifically the
meat in them, can cause
greenhouse gas emissions.
A report published by the Food
and Agriculture Organization of
the United Nations (FAO), titled
Livestock's Long Shadow:
Environmental Issues and
Options, provided some startling
facts about greenhouse
emissions and global warming
caused by raising animals for
food. The report stated that 18
percent of greenhouse gas
emissions in the planet is the
result of worldwide livestock
farming. In comparison to this,
the greenhouse emissions by
transportation systems, which
would include all the world's
cars, trains, and planes was
responsible for only 13% of
greenhouse gas emissions.

Why Does Consuming Meat
Cause Global Warming?
The Rise in Global Population
As human population grows, the
consumption of meat, especially
cheap meat, increases. According
to estimates provided, meat
production is projected to
double by 2020, thanks to the
increased global consumption of
meat and growth of population.
This is posed to have significant
environmental and health
consequences for the planet.
With the increasing demand, the
industrialized animal production
systems are pressurized into
increasing the livestock
production as well. As Harold A.
Mooney from the Woods Institute
for the Environment at Stanford
says, "People aren't going to stop
eating meat." This increase in
livestock production is seen not
only in developed countries but
also in many developing
countries around the world
where people who have more
money, tend to increase their
meat consumption.