What is the connection between a hamburger and global warming?
A University of Chicago study:
|
Average American |
72% plant, 14% meat, 14% eggs/dairy |
1.5 tons average annual greenhouse gas emissions |
|
Vegan Diet |
No animal products consumed |
0 GHG emissions annually |
|
Vegetarian |
Only milk and eggs consumed from animals |
0.8 tons GHG emissions annually |
|
Poultry |
Eating only poultry as 14% average (no fish or red meat) |
0.9 tons GHG emissions annually |
|
Fish |
Eating only fish as 14% average (no poultry or red meat) |
2 tons GHG emissions annually |
|
Red Meat |
Eating only red meat as 14% average (no poultry or fish) |
2 tons GHG emissions annually |
http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~gidon/papers/nutri/nutri.html
The study includes such factors as grain consumption by the animals, methane gases released, etc. While the fish numbers are surprising, eating large predatory fish is worse than small coastal fish (length of trip to harvest them).
The short lesson: Eating further down on the food chain = better for the environment.
Meat Labels:
- Certified Organic: 100% organic grain fed; no antibiotics ever used
- Grass-Fed or Grass-Finished: Less fuel and fertilizer; generally local or small farms. But be careful, because there is no oversight of this label. This meat causes more methane gas than conventional methods and still uses water irrigation, etc.
- No Antibiotics Added/Raised Without Antibiotics: Exactly that, and the label is USDA regulated.
- Free-Range/Free-Roaming: This label is regulated by the USDA for poultry only, not eggs. And since there are no set standards for this, it could mean that a door was open to the coup a few minutes per day.
Healthier Chickens:
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Almost no chickens are completely organic, because nearly all eggs are injected now with anti-biotics. This is why the above labels are counted when chickens are two days old, bypassing anything that is done immediately pre- and post-hatching.
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However, the following chicken brands are considered anti-biotic free:
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All organics, Bell & Evans, Cargill "Good Nature," Chipotle chicken, Coleman Natural, Laura's Lean Beef, Murray's Chiclen, Nature Select chicken, Panera chicken (except soups and sandwiches), Wegman's "Food You Feel Good About" series, Whole Foods, Wild Oats.
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Antibiotics to treat illness only: Foster Farms, Tyson
Resources: