Act now – or prepare to meat your
maker
By Gabriel Broderick Poulsen (Student Number 2660983)
Climate Change! Two words that elicit anger, fear, or passion in the hearts of anyone who hears
them. Although some people may feel the topic is over-discussed, it is essential for every person on
the planet to constantly analyse their actions and look at how they can be adapted to benefit the
planet for future generations. This is what climate change boils down to – am I a considerate human
being who wants my kids to not suffer at the hands of devastating heat? Or, do I only care about
myself and what I want? That choice is yours.
Before I jump into the science of it all, let’s get the definitions out of the way – what is global
warming? It is the phenomena whereby Earth’s average global temperature is increasing as a result
of human activities. These activities release greenhouse gasses that trap the heat of the sun within
the atmosphere. Now, you might be one of those people who thinks that only large corporations are
responsible for these emissions. I can’t possibly make a difference on an individual scale, right?
Wrong! If every person reduces their greenhouse gas emissions, the cumulative effect would go a
long way to reducing the rate at which Earth is warming up.
There are many causes of Earth’s rapid heating, but one that doesn’t see as much media coverage,
and in fact one of the largest causes of global warming is animal agriculture – aka the meat industry.
Animal agriculture is responsible for 15,4% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions (FFAC
2019). This is equal to the emissions of the entire transport industry. When ruminants (herbivores
with two stomachs) graze before slaughter, they release methane due to the fermentation process
in their stomachs. Although world news focuses typically on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions,
methane emissions are twenty-eight times more potent. A 2016 study revealed that the top 20 meat
and dairy producing companies worldwide produce more greenhouse gasses than the whole of
Germany. According to GRAIN 2022, these companies produced 932 metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent or mTCO2e (a measurement converting all greenhouse gasses to a carbon dioxide
equivalent, by calculating their potency in causing global warming when compared to CO2).
If the top 20 meat and dairy companies were considered a ‘country’ - they would be the seventh
highest greenhouse gas emission culprits in the world. Oil and petrol companies are painted as evil
for their emissions but Tyson, Cargill and JBS (the three largest meat companies) produced just as
much CO2e as some of the world’s biggest petrol companies (Shell and BP)
As the demand for meat increases, so do the emissions of meat companies. From 2016 to 2021, JBS
has increased their yearly greenhouse gas emission by 51%, from 280 million metric tons to 421,6
million metric tons. This starts a minor heart attack in my chest. This latest statistic reveals that JBS
(one company) emits more greenhouse gasses annually than the whole of Italy (an entire country).
This statistic makes the situation we face as humans very clear – if we don’t do something now, we
will pass the point of no return and there will be no hope whatsoever for future generations.
Now, it’s all good and well to talk about how scary this is, but we need to talk about how this
problem can be fixed. The answer for me is as clear as day – stop supporting animal agriculture. Not
only will this reduce the amount of water needed to produce your food by up to 50%, but you could
reduce your personal carbon footprint by up to 65,4% if you were vegetarian (BBC 2022). If you were
vegan (more of a stretch, I know) this statistic could increase to up to 79,8%. In a study by Stanford
University and the University of California in 2022, they determined the following: “If animal
agriculture were phased out over 15 years and all other greenhouse-gas emissions were to continue
unabated, the phase-out would create a 30-year pause in net greenhouse gas emissions and offset
almost 70 percent of the heating effect of those emissions through the end of the century.”
This study by Stanford and California Universities gives me hope. It shows us that it is not yet too late
to reverse the damage we have done. With a 30-year pause in net greenhouse gas emissions, we
would give climate scientists enough time to figure out how to reverse these emissions in other
industries and transition to cleaner energy sources. The choice is simple – vegetarianism, and
ultimately veganism – is the way to go. Trying your best looks different for everyone, but many small
changes over time will ultimately make a big difference. Even reducing your meat consumption by 2
days a week would be a great starting point. Now is the time to act – don’t wait until it’s too late.
[825 Words]
REFERENCES
1. DeSmog. 21 April 2022. Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. World’s largest meat
company, JBS, increases emissions by 51% in five years despite 2040 net zero climate target,
continues to greenwash its huge climate footprint. [Link]
increases-emissions-51-percent
2. Factory Farming Awareness Coalition. 15.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from
animal agriculture, comparable to all transportation (cars, trucks, trains, planes) combined.
[Link]
emissions/#:~:text=15.4%25%20of%20global%20greenhouse%20gas,%2C%20trains%2C%20
planes)%20combined.
3. GRAIN, IATP and Heinrich Böll Foundation. 7 November 2017. Big meat and dairy’s
supersized climate footprint. [Link]
supersized-climate-footprint
4. Henriques M., Gorvett Z. 2 May 2022. BBC. The climate benefits of veganism and
vegetarianism. [Link]
veganism-and-vegetarianism
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healthier-while-reducing-your-water-
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[Link]
change/#:~:text=Besides%20being%20a%20huge%20source,to%20grow%20animal%20feed
%20crops.
7. Rabo O. 18 November 2022. Cooler Future. What is CO2e and how is it calculated?
[Link]
8. Than K. 1 February 2022. Stanford Earth Matters Magazine. Could going vegan help reduce
greenhouse gas emissions? [Link]
reduce-greenhouse-gas-
emissions#:~:text=The%20worldwide%20phase%20out%20of,from%20Stanford%20Universi
ty%20and%20the
9. Picture 1: Ross C. 20 November 2018. Animal agriculture’s effects on climate change.
Synergies. [Link]
10. Picture 2: The Editors. 5 December 2022. Almanac. Earth Day 2023.
[Link] (image originally from
Shutterstock by Jacob_09)