by Eva Kinnebrew
Eating meat and other animal products is a part of our culture. Most of us grew up
eating meat and, throughout our lives, have been surrounded by animal products
(for example: hot dogs at baseball games, cartons of milk in school lunches, late-
night ice cream, and pepperoni pizza). Given that animal products are so prevalent
in our culture, we often don’t think to question their impact. It’s easy to push these
questions to the back of our minds – especially when these habits are so deeply
ingrained in us.
Questioning and addressing the environmental impact of the conventional meat
industry, however, has become imperative; we cannot continue down this road in
the coming decades. The meat industry is extremely detrimental to our planet. For
instance, feeding, transporting, and processing livestock requires huge amounts of
energy. If you think about it, there are many steps that go into bringing meat to
your plate. Farmers must grow and transport feed for the animals, and they must
transport the animals to the slaughterhouse, processing plants, and markets. Each of
these steps is energy costly and also results in the emission of greenhouse gases,
which trap heat in the atmosphere and thus exacerbate global warming.
David Pimentel, a professor from Cornell University, points out, “It takes, on
average, 28 calories of fossil fuel energy to produce 1 calorie of meat protein for
human consumption, [whereas] it takes only 3.3 calories of fossil- fuel energy to
produce 1 calorie of protein from grain for human consumption” [1]. This goes to show
how energy efficient a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle can be.
An incredible amount of water is also necessary for raising livestock. For example, in
warm temperatures a cow will drink around 20 gallons of water a day. To put this
into perspective, consider that it can take around 1,800 gallons of water to produce
one pound of beef, while it only takes around 300 gallons to produce one pound of
tofu [2]. Water is one of our most valuable and at-risk resources and with California
and the American Southwest in one of the worst droughts on record, we should
encourage agricultural practices that use water wisely.
The table below, from the Journal of Animal Science, shows how many resources go
into producing a single conventionally raised hamburger patty. You’ll be surprised
to see how much a single meal can cost!
If we continue consuming meat at our current rate — in 2012 the average American
consumed 270.7 pounds of meat (around 0.75 pounds a day per person) — we will
exhaust Earth’s resources and consequently put the health of the human race at
great risk [3]. We have to change our ways.
Cutting animal products from your diet may seem like a daunting task. In America,
meat often sits at the center of our meals, frequenting the “entrée” section of nearly
every restaurant menu. This does not have to be the case, though. There are so many
great sources of protein, like lentils, tofu, and tempeh, which are both better for the
environment and great for your health! As someone who became vegetarian four
years ago, I can attest that substituting veggies and lentils for animal protein makes
me feel both healthier and happier.
If you are interested in trying out vegetarianism, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water expenditure, or just challenging yourself, then UChicago’s VegWeek is the perfect opportunity for you! This Monday through Friday, April 13th to April 17th, students, staff, and faculty will be taking the pledge to “Go Veg” and reduce their daily intake of animal products. You can take the pledge here online or visit the VegWeek table in Hutchinson Commons every day this week from 11am to 1pm. And, because every bit helps, for this year’s VegWeek you don’t have to pledge to go completely vegetarian or vegan. Sign up to cut meat from your diet for as many days and meals as you would like.
Also, don’t forget to attend all of VegWeek’s incredible events, which will show you
how easy and delicious vegetarianism can be! Join the Office of Sustainability in the
Reynolds club this week for lots of free food and good company. See the flyer below
for more details.
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As ecologist Elysa Hammond said, “Fight global warming with your knife and fork.”
See you all at VegWeek!
1. http://www.worldwatch.org/node/549
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/13/food-water-
footprint_n_5952862.html
3. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/06/27/155527365/visualizing-a-
nation-of-meat-eaters