07-04-2011, 03:03 PM
PRESENTED BY:
Saurabh F. Dalal
[attachment=11862]
A Global Dietary Imperative to Global Warming
Main Idea
• Human activities have changed the composition of the atmosphere and therefore are influencing the Earth's climate, particularly in global warming
• The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, and deforestation have caused the concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases to increase significantly in our atmosphere
Although rarely addressed, it is increasingly clear that eliminating the production and consumption of meat and other animal products on a global scale is vital in reducing global warming and other grave environmental threats, and so doing reduces the extraordinary waste of water, land, fuel and other precious resources
– Also benefits people's physical and spiritual health
– Prevents the massive mistreatment of non-human farmed animals as well as our effects on others
Global Warming Background
• Definition: an increase in the average temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns
• Refers even more to the decades of this century and the projected continuation of this increase
• Can occur from a variety of causes, both natural and anthropogenic (human-induced)
• Scientists are certain that human activities are changing the composition of the atmosphere and responsible for most of the warming in recent decades (*1)
• Global average air temperature near the Earth's surface rose 0.74 ± 0.18 °Celsius (1.3 ± 0.32 °Fahrenheit) in the last century (*2)
Greenhouse Effect
• Greenhouse Gases & Temperatures
• Any gas that absorbs infrared radiation in the atmosphere
• Greenhouse gases (compounds) include: water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) etc, ozone (O3)
• Necessary for life as we know it… but increased concentrations result in increased temperatures on the Earth
• Warmest global average temperatures on record have all occurred within the past 15 years; warmest two years being 1998 and 2005
• If the concentration of greenhouse gases continues to increase, then by 2100, climate models referenced by the IPCC* predict that global temperatures are likely to increase by 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) above 1990 levels
Global Temperatures
• IPCC
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
• Body established in 1988 and comprised of two United Nations organizations
– The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
– The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Evaluates the risk of climate change brought on by humans, based mainly on peer reviewed and published scientific/technical literature
• Reports are widely cited and the panel is regarded as authoritative
Other Resulting Changes
• An increase in global temperatures can in turn cause other changes:
– rising sea level, flooding, submerged islands
– changes in the amount/pattern of precipitation
– increases in the frequency/intensity of extreme weather events; record heat, wildfires, droughts, shrinking lakes
– glacier retreat, permafrost melt, reduced summer streamflows
– acidification of the oceans
– destruction of wildlife habitats
– endangered species & extinctions
– changes in agricultural yields
– increases in the ranges of disease vectors
– environmental refugees
General Mitigation Categories
• Five categories of actions that can be taken to mitigate global warming:
– Reduction of energy use (per person)
– Shifting from carbon-based fossil fuels to alternative energy sources
– Carbon capture and storage
– Geo-engineering including carbon sequestration
– Population / birth control, to lessen demand for resources such as energy and land clearing
General Mitigation Strategies
• Mitigation Strategies for Global Warming
– energy conservation
– renewable energy such as bio-mass/bio-diesel, solar power, tidal and ocean energy, geothermal power, and wind power
– electric or hybrid automobiles; fuel cells
– development of new technologies
– carbon offsets; carbon credits; carbon taxes; enhancing natural carbon dioxide sinks; carbon capture and storage
– population control
Governments, corporations, schools, religious institutions, and other organizations to get actively involved as well as individual-lifestyle and political action
US Climate Policy
• US government policy has three components
– Slowing the growth of emissions
– Strengthening science, technology and institutions
– Enhancing international cooperation
• Implementation uses voluntary and incentive-based programs to reduce emissions
• In 2002, the US announced a strategy to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the American economy by 18 percent over the 10-year period from 2002 to 2012
– Specific Mitigation Strategy:
Plant-based Diets
• The important set of connections between global warming and animal agriculture along with the increasingly globalized Standard American Diet (SAD) have generally been overlooked or marginalized
• In addition to technology developments and the like, it is necessary to change the consciousness of people and subsequently their personal behaviors on a large scale, a major component of which is a shift to plant-based diets
• Dispel the myth that technology alone will solve each and every problem
• Technology changes often have negative side effects whereas positive dietary shifts are accompanied by a number of other important benefits, e.g. improved personal and public health, animal concerns
Role of Animal Agriculture
• Overuse of the land by livestock, leads to overuse of fuel and water, also degrades the land and pollutes the water around it
• Contributes to additional environmental and health problems
• Animal-based diets use energy very inefficiently
• In total, livestock industry uses (and abuses) roughly 30% of the planet's surface
• In direct competition with other activities for scarce land, water, and other natural resources
– Conflicts arise over resources
Role of Animal Agriculture
• United Nations - Food and Agriculture Organization (2006 Report)
– States that animal-based agriculture causes approximately 18% of greenhouse gas emissions
– Amount greater than that caused by all forms of transportation on the planet combined; so cars are still problematic but cows are contributing more to global warming
– Therefore, what we eat is actually more important than what we drive
Emissions from Animal Agriculture
• 9 % of all CO2 emissions
• 37 % of methane (CH4) emissions
– CH4: 23 times global warming potential of CO2
• 65 % of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions
– N2O: 296 times global warming potential of CO2
– Researchers at the University of Chicago found that the average American diet, including all food processing steps, produces an extra 1.5 tons of CO2-equivalent (annually), compared to a meat-free diet
Rising Demand of Animal Agriculture
• Demand in the developing world is projected to double meat and dairy production globally by 2050 (UN FAO)
• Report considers only land mammals, and does not address egg, poultry, and seafood consumption
Hence, the impact of animal agriculture is far greater than the FAO report indicates, and will worsen still more if present dietary trends continue
• ~ 55 billion animals are reared worldwide to be killed and eaten annually
• ~ 70 percent of the grain produced in the United States (and over a third produced worldwide) is inefficiently diverted to feed farmed animals (despite great hunger in many parts of the world)
• With fresh-water sources dwindling rapidly, we are using up to 14 times as much water than that required for completely plant-based diets
Despoiling the Environment
• Animal Agriculture is a vastly inefficient use of resources
– Food IN to ‘Food’ OUT
– Water
– Land
– Energy
• Animal Agriculture causes environmental devastation as a consequence
– Land, water, air
– Manure / urine
– Rainforest destruction
• Enormous Resource Inefficiency
TELLING EXAMPLE
• How many pounds of Grain are used to make 1 pound of beef ?
• Enormous Resource Inefficiency
• How many pounds of Grain are used to make 1 pound of beef ?
12-16 pounds
• 8 loaves of bread
• 24 plates of spaghetti
• Enormous Resource Inefficiency
• How many gallons of Water are used to make 1 pound of beef ?
• Enormous Resource Inefficiency
• How many gallons of Water are used to make 1 pound of beef ?
2500-5000 gallons
• Ave person’s shower for 6 months
• Gal/pound: tomatoes 25, wheat 25, apples 50
• Enormous Resource Inefficiency
• How many calories of fossil fuel are spent to produce 1 calorie of protein from beef ?
Saurabh F. Dalal
[attachment=11862]
A Global Dietary Imperative to Global Warming
Main Idea
• Human activities have changed the composition of the atmosphere and therefore are influencing the Earth's climate, particularly in global warming
• The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, and deforestation have caused the concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases to increase significantly in our atmosphere
Although rarely addressed, it is increasingly clear that eliminating the production and consumption of meat and other animal products on a global scale is vital in reducing global warming and other grave environmental threats, and so doing reduces the extraordinary waste of water, land, fuel and other precious resources
– Also benefits people's physical and spiritual health
– Prevents the massive mistreatment of non-human farmed animals as well as our effects on others
Global Warming Background
• Definition: an increase in the average temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface and in the troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns
• Refers even more to the decades of this century and the projected continuation of this increase
• Can occur from a variety of causes, both natural and anthropogenic (human-induced)
• Scientists are certain that human activities are changing the composition of the atmosphere and responsible for most of the warming in recent decades (*1)
• Global average air temperature near the Earth's surface rose 0.74 ± 0.18 °Celsius (1.3 ± 0.32 °Fahrenheit) in the last century (*2)
Greenhouse Effect
• Greenhouse Gases & Temperatures
• Any gas that absorbs infrared radiation in the atmosphere
• Greenhouse gases (compounds) include: water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) etc, ozone (O3)
• Necessary for life as we know it… but increased concentrations result in increased temperatures on the Earth
• Warmest global average temperatures on record have all occurred within the past 15 years; warmest two years being 1998 and 2005
• If the concentration of greenhouse gases continues to increase, then by 2100, climate models referenced by the IPCC* predict that global temperatures are likely to increase by 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) above 1990 levels
Global Temperatures
• IPCC
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
• Body established in 1988 and comprised of two United Nations organizations
– The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
– The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Evaluates the risk of climate change brought on by humans, based mainly on peer reviewed and published scientific/technical literature
• Reports are widely cited and the panel is regarded as authoritative
Other Resulting Changes
• An increase in global temperatures can in turn cause other changes:
– rising sea level, flooding, submerged islands
– changes in the amount/pattern of precipitation
– increases in the frequency/intensity of extreme weather events; record heat, wildfires, droughts, shrinking lakes
– glacier retreat, permafrost melt, reduced summer streamflows
– acidification of the oceans
– destruction of wildlife habitats
– endangered species & extinctions
– changes in agricultural yields
– increases in the ranges of disease vectors
– environmental refugees
General Mitigation Categories
• Five categories of actions that can be taken to mitigate global warming:
– Reduction of energy use (per person)
– Shifting from carbon-based fossil fuels to alternative energy sources
– Carbon capture and storage
– Geo-engineering including carbon sequestration
– Population / birth control, to lessen demand for resources such as energy and land clearing
General Mitigation Strategies
• Mitigation Strategies for Global Warming
– energy conservation
– renewable energy such as bio-mass/bio-diesel, solar power, tidal and ocean energy, geothermal power, and wind power
– electric or hybrid automobiles; fuel cells
– development of new technologies
– carbon offsets; carbon credits; carbon taxes; enhancing natural carbon dioxide sinks; carbon capture and storage
– population control
Governments, corporations, schools, religious institutions, and other organizations to get actively involved as well as individual-lifestyle and political action
US Climate Policy
• US government policy has three components
– Slowing the growth of emissions
– Strengthening science, technology and institutions
– Enhancing international cooperation
• Implementation uses voluntary and incentive-based programs to reduce emissions
• In 2002, the US announced a strategy to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the American economy by 18 percent over the 10-year period from 2002 to 2012
– Specific Mitigation Strategy:
Plant-based Diets
• The important set of connections between global warming and animal agriculture along with the increasingly globalized Standard American Diet (SAD) have generally been overlooked or marginalized
• In addition to technology developments and the like, it is necessary to change the consciousness of people and subsequently their personal behaviors on a large scale, a major component of which is a shift to plant-based diets
• Dispel the myth that technology alone will solve each and every problem
• Technology changes often have negative side effects whereas positive dietary shifts are accompanied by a number of other important benefits, e.g. improved personal and public health, animal concerns
Role of Animal Agriculture
• Overuse of the land by livestock, leads to overuse of fuel and water, also degrades the land and pollutes the water around it
• Contributes to additional environmental and health problems
• Animal-based diets use energy very inefficiently
• In total, livestock industry uses (and abuses) roughly 30% of the planet's surface
• In direct competition with other activities for scarce land, water, and other natural resources
– Conflicts arise over resources
Role of Animal Agriculture
• United Nations - Food and Agriculture Organization (2006 Report)
– States that animal-based agriculture causes approximately 18% of greenhouse gas emissions
– Amount greater than that caused by all forms of transportation on the planet combined; so cars are still problematic but cows are contributing more to global warming
– Therefore, what we eat is actually more important than what we drive
Emissions from Animal Agriculture
• 9 % of all CO2 emissions
• 37 % of methane (CH4) emissions
– CH4: 23 times global warming potential of CO2
• 65 % of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions
– N2O: 296 times global warming potential of CO2
– Researchers at the University of Chicago found that the average American diet, including all food processing steps, produces an extra 1.5 tons of CO2-equivalent (annually), compared to a meat-free diet
Rising Demand of Animal Agriculture
• Demand in the developing world is projected to double meat and dairy production globally by 2050 (UN FAO)
• Report considers only land mammals, and does not address egg, poultry, and seafood consumption
Hence, the impact of animal agriculture is far greater than the FAO report indicates, and will worsen still more if present dietary trends continue
• ~ 55 billion animals are reared worldwide to be killed and eaten annually
• ~ 70 percent of the grain produced in the United States (and over a third produced worldwide) is inefficiently diverted to feed farmed animals (despite great hunger in many parts of the world)
• With fresh-water sources dwindling rapidly, we are using up to 14 times as much water than that required for completely plant-based diets
Despoiling the Environment
• Animal Agriculture is a vastly inefficient use of resources
– Food IN to ‘Food’ OUT
– Water
– Land
– Energy
• Animal Agriculture causes environmental devastation as a consequence
– Land, water, air
– Manure / urine
– Rainforest destruction
• Enormous Resource Inefficiency
TELLING EXAMPLE
• How many pounds of Grain are used to make 1 pound of beef ?
• Enormous Resource Inefficiency
• How many pounds of Grain are used to make 1 pound of beef ?
12-16 pounds
• 8 loaves of bread
• 24 plates of spaghetti
• Enormous Resource Inefficiency
• How many gallons of Water are used to make 1 pound of beef ?
• Enormous Resource Inefficiency
• How many gallons of Water are used to make 1 pound of beef ?
2500-5000 gallons
• Ave person’s shower for 6 months
• Gal/pound: tomatoes 25, wheat 25, apples 50
• Enormous Resource Inefficiency
• How many calories of fossil fuel are spent to produce 1 calorie of protein from beef ?
