Wednesday, December 13, 2006

What is worse than my car?

Well a new report tells us that it is meat and milk production. I have been trying to find a trusted source for this information that has been going round. I think the United Nation report on the 29 November is fairly solid evidence.

Livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions, (as measured in CO2), than transport - in fact it is responsible for a whopping 18% of Greenhouse Gases.

The UN say, “Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems. Urgent action is required to remedy the situation.”

Perhaps the way rich nations like us: Farm, cut down forests, waste food, eat processed meat etc is the problem rather than the poor humble animals - who spend their lives inside buildings, in factory farm conditions. The lives that they live are often short and painful, without the grace, dignity and enjoyment that all life deserves.

In many poorer nations, people often cannot afford to eat meat. As we know, the wealthier nations of the world consume far more than their share of resources, leaving others with less and with a deteriorating world environment to boot.

The report also says that meat production is leading to deforestation, water pollution and land pollution.

We could provide enough food for everyone if we were not feeding it to livestock - 80% of the corn produced in the USA goes to feed livestock. That is a lot of corn.

Over simplified perhaps? Are you already on your carbon neutral site buying another tree to appease guilt? (Is that a con - another article perhaps).

This is really important though folks. We may be doing our bit with our Fairtrade advent calendar but: poor people starving - biggest contributor to Greenhouse Gases.

Big Story, Big Issue and Big Action Needed

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