Environmental
Environmental Stewardship
- Water Resources - it takes over 5,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef; it takes 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat
In California today, you may save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you would be not showering for six entire months — John Robbins, Author of Diet for a New America
- Global Depletion - loss and pollution of land, water, and air resources accelerates loss of biodiversity and species extinction
- Deforestation - in Brazil, 90% of land deforested since 1970 has gone toward livestock pastures of feed (UC Santa Cruz)
- Climate Change - animal agriculture comprises 18% of all global human-induced greenhouse gas emissions (United Nations)
Livestock farming is the greatest single source of atmospheric methane – a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (CO2). Because methane is much shorter lived than CO2, a plant-based diet would have a huge impact on immediate reductions in global temperatures.
An organic non-vegetarian diet results in an 8% reduction in GHG emissions when compared to conventional farming, while an organic vegan diet results in a 94% reduction in GHG emissions.