How to Save the World: Part III

After a brief hiatus, How to Save the World has returned! Up this week is something I've been working on for the past few months: stop eating beef.

This one is kind of hard for me because I really enjoy beef in all of its forms, my family eats a lot of beef, and when someone else is picking up the tab, I almost always get beef. But I've been trying not to. I figure reducing my beef intake has to be beneficial. I think you'll think so to.

Why should you stop eating beef? Mad cow disease? Well, that could be one reason, but it's actually not the best one. Too much cholesterol? True, but I don't care if you want to go on statins. The biggest beef concern? Its detrimental effects on the environment and the economy.

Let's start with the environment. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization released a report with some shocking realities. According to the report:

+ Livestock use 30% of the earth's entire land surface, including 33% of global arable land used in producing feed for livestock
+ Livestock generate 18% more greenhouse gasses then transportation
+ Livestock account for 9% of CO2 derived from human-related activities but much larger
portions of the more potent greenhouse gasses: 65% of human-related nitrous oxide and 37% of human-related methane
+ In Latin America, 70% of former rain forests in the Amazon have been turned over to grazing. In fact, beef production is the major cause of the destruction of the world's rain forests. The high price of beef encourages ranchers to burn the forest to create new range lands. The fragile, thin rain forest soil cover is quickly destroyed by grazing in 1-2 years, and the ranchers move on to burn another area, in a never-ending cycle of destruction. Thousands of species of plants and animals have already been destroyed forever, as well as straining the earth's ability to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. At current rates, the rain forests will be totally destroyed in 30-50 years.

So basically one-third of our planet and one-fifth of the planet's animals are being used to feed your tummy. Surprising, huh? And we haven't even looked at the economy yet. We already know that livestock take up a third of the earth's land. That's not too bad sounding until you consider who that beef is feeding: the US, Europe, and Japan. Here's another third for you. One third of the world's grain harvest is used to feed cows instead of feeding people. In the US, that number is more then 70%. It takes 16 pounds of grain to produce a single pound of beef. All this in a world where nearly one billion people do not have enough food. And it's not just children in Africa. According to the USDA 35.1 million people in the US live in food insecure households. 16.9% of ALL US children live in food insecure households. And these numbers are only rising. As beef consumption and prices continue to rise, we are only perpetuating this cycle. Economies based on local cash crops are quickly being converted to beef exports with the profits going to the wealthy few.

So what can you go? It's pretty simple. Stop eating beef. If you can't stop, limit your consumption to special occasions or for cravings. Not only are you helping to save the world, but you'll lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of exposure to the deadly E. coli bacteria. And mad cow. And weird icky hormones. Really, it's a win win situation. The Chick-fil-a cows are right. Eat more chicken!