Red meat such as beef, is a huge contributor to climate change. How can a cow contribute to rising sea levels and soaring temperatures?
Farming red meat requires 28 times more land and 11 times more water rather than pork and chicken, which results in 5 times more gas emissions. Cows also require having a grain fed diet, which further impacts the agricultural sectors 15% contribution to global warming. Due to the growing population, there is concern on how much more red meat will be farmed in 2050, adding in the grain and water than needs to be produced for animal food will sky rocket gas emissions.
In 2015, The Guardian wrote an article based on research conducted by University of Oxford scientists studying British people’s diets. According to their findings, a meat-rich diet causes 7.2kg carbon dioxide, vegetarian/pescatarian diets cause 3.8kg carbon emissions and a vegan diet produces only 2.9kg emissions per day.
In order to lower global warming, Australian families need to lower their meat consumption, recommended around twice a week rather than the 57grams of beef, lamb, pork and chicken per day we are used to. Click on the links to read the complete articles written on Australian meat consumption.
Daily Australian meat consumption
The Guardian- Meat vs Vegetarian diet
Climate Clever 