Lily+M’s+2017+OpEd+Article

Cow farts alone account for 164.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases.

We blame our environmental problems on our long showers and our gas guzzling cars, but are our transportation modes the culprit, or is it the way we cultivate our food? The agricultural industry alone accounts for 18% of carbon gas emission, while all of transportation amounts to 13%. The livestock industry in particular is especially guilty. Livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32 million tons of greenhouse gases. That’s 51% of all greenhouse gasses! We cannot just sit around and hope that things will change, because these astounding numbers are only going to rise. This isn't solely about the destruction of the environment, but rather the REAL destroyer. The one we don't look to blame.



Gas emissions are not the only reason our planet is in trouble, and it is not the only thing the animal agriculture industry isn’t guilty for either. It affects water usage drastically, and is a proponent of deforestation, animal extinction, pollution and ocean dead zones. These issues prove that the way the agriculture business is being run is one of the main reasons for the planet’s destruction. Agriculture is responsible for 80-90% of US water consumption, but these insane statistics make sense when the production of only 1 pound of beef requires 660 gallons of water. Only 5% of water consumed in the US is by private homes, while a whopping 55% is used for livestock. Clearly, a majority of our water is used up by the agriculture business, not from watering our lawns.

Livestock and livestock feed take up about ⅓ of the earth’s ice free land, but not only is our land being affected, but so is the ocean. Livestock operations on land have created more than 500 nitrogen flooded ocean dead zones. Due to the pollution of the ocean, reefs are dying, along with all the organisms that inhabit the ocean. So much so, that the possibility of fishless oceans is probable by 2048, considering that 2.7 trillion animals are pulled from the oceans each year, including unintended catch .But the scariest thing of all, is that due to our agricultural practices, we have entered the largest mass extinction in over 65 million years. The Amazon Rainforest, home to a majority of the world’s species is being cut down as we speak. In fact, 1-2 acres each minute are being cut down for cattle ranching and other agricultural practices. This is one of the world’s largest oxygen sources that we have, yet we continue to cut it down. The destruction of the Rainforest is at such an astounding rate, that up to 137 plant, animal and insect species are lost every day. We are endangering every species on earth, well, except for cows, chickens and pigs. Ten thousand years ago, 99% of the biomass was wild animals. Today humans and the animals we raise for food make up about 98% of the biomass.

But it is not only the environment that is suffering, so are people all over the world. Currently, we are raising enough food to feed 10 billion people. There are 7 billion people inhabiting this earth. It’s not only distribution that accounts for this problem, but greed is the problem. 82% of starving children are living in countries where the food is grown to feed the livestock, and the livestock is then sent to western countries where obesity runs rampant.

The agriculture industry is leading to the suffrage of the planet, animals and the people. We can no longer blame our long hot showers and green lawns. We have begun to turn to solar and wind power as a solution, but converting to this co mpletely is estimated to take 20+ years, oh, and roughly 43 trillion dollars. Even without the use of fossil fuels, we would exceed our 565 gigatonnes co2 limit by 2030, just from raising livestock. This is about the state of the only known place where we can survive, and thrive. Our agriculture practices propel the destruction of our planet. Let’s no longer ignore the real issue and blame the less guilty. Instead, lets face the facts and rethink the way we are feeding the world.