In a recent Washington Post article, the climate change debate was brought to a new level: what about meat?  Politicians and environmental activists alike argue over cap-and-trade, mitigation, adaptation, and hybrid cars, but what about the energy used and green house gases (GHG) emitted from intensive livestock practices (factory farms) across the nation, and around the world? The Post article cited a 2006 United Nations report stating 18 percent of global GHG emissions comes from livestock. Never mind the hundreds of thousands of acres of land stripped and cleared for cattle-grazing in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest and the American West, to name just two major regions. The Amazon rainforest in particular acts as a major carbon sink on our planet, storing large volumes of CO₂ from the atmosphere. Diminishing this capacity increases the precariousness of our situation.

So, is switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet all that impactful?  Interestingly, a study out of the University of Chicago noted switching to a vegan diet is more environmentally friendly than owning a Prius. Still, not everyone is comfortable giving up meat in their diet. At the very least however, cutting back a little, or buying locally raised meat can cut emissions significantly, and promote local farm production and sustainability. So next time, take a second look at that hamburger you ate for lunch and think global climate change; they’re more directly related than you may think.