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Is
climate change affected by what we eat?
November 4, 2009
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
When it comes to diets, we put
a lot of emphasis on calories and cholesterol levels. We’re
concerned about how diet affects our personal health.
But should we also be considering how what we eat affects
the planet?
There’s plenty of evidence demonstrating that production
of certain foods contributes substantially to the amount of
gasses believed to be causing global warming.
Climate change is a growing concern. And we’re going
to be hearing about it more as the United Nations Climate
Change Conference in Copenhagen in December draws near.
That’s when countries from around the world will work
to craft a new plan to fight climate change.
Is there anything we can do in making our food choices to
help fight global warming? Yes. Reduce the amount of meat
you eat.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in 2006 reported
that meat production accounts for about one-fifth of the world’s
greenhouse gas production. That’s more than the greenhouse
gases produced by all of the world’s cars, trucks, planes,
trains and boats.
According to the report, meat production and distribution
promotes climate change in other ways, too:
* It leads to deforestation. Vast areas of the earth’s
landmass are used for cattle grazing. Fewer trees means less
carbon dioxide can be absorbed from the atmosphere and more
is released when trees are burned to clear grazing land.
* It promotes noxious emissions. Animals raised for food produce
manure that sends nitrous oxide into the atmosphere, a gas
with nearly 300 times the warming power of carbon dioxide.
Then there’s the other kind of gas. When cows pass gas
– and they pass a lot of it – the methane has
a more powerful warming effect than carbon dioxide.
* It makes intensive use of resources. A large share of the
grain and soybeans grown around the world is fed to animals
rather than eaten by people directly.
Only a fraction of those food calories are returned in the
form of meat.
Fossil fuels and huge quantities of water are needed for meat
production and distribution. Industrial feedlots drain water
supplies and pollute the air, water and soil.
When you consider that diets heavy on animal products promote
obesity, coronary artery disease, cancer and other chronic
diseases, you have to wonder why meat production is on the
rise worldwide.
Last week, Lord Stern, an economist at the London School of
Economics and former chief economist at the World Bank, told
the Times of London that as people become aware of the carbon
content of their food, meat-eating will become less acceptable.
Although not a vegetarian himself, he advocated that people
switch to more meatless meals to help preserve the environment.
Sweden is ahead of everyone. The government is testing new
food labels that list the carbon dioxide emissions value of
foods. Not only that, they’ve also drafted new dietary
recommendations that take into account the environmental impact
of diet.
They’ve given us a glimpse into our food future.
Suzanne
Havala Hobbs is a licensed, registered dietitian and clinical
associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and
Management and the Department of Nutrition in the UNC Gillings
School of Global Public Health. Send questions and comments
to suzanne@onthetable.net.
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