The meat and dairy industry are lying to us

Amanda Jung/Contributing Writer

Nowadays, you can’t seem to drive down the street without seeing an advertisement for a burger or something wrapped in bacon. But the cost of that cheeseburger you had for lunch is much more than the three dollars you spent.

If the cashier told you the true cost of that meal, it would have gone something like, “that will be three dollars, an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, a few thousand gallons of water and another two acres of rainforests cleared just while we were having this conversation. Any sauce with that?”

But how long can we really survive off this lifestyle before the condition of the planet has completely deteriorated?

“Animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution and habitat destruction,” according to Richard Oppenlander, author of “Comfortably Unaware.”

Animal habitats are destroyed every second simply by clearing the rainforests in order to make room for animal agriculture. These once luscious, forested areas are now being converted into farmland, a space for crops to grow and animals to graze.  

You might have never connected the dots. We never really think about where our food comes from. But the truth of the matter is, the animal agriculture industry has a bigger effect on the planet than one might have imagined.

Let’s connect these dots now, shall we? Livestock and livestock feed occupy one third of the earth’s ice free land, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. These animals that inhabit this land are producing billions of tons of waste — waste that wouldn’t exist if it were not for the meat industry.

The pesticides and chemicals used on these farmlands are polluting water, which in turn is creating ocean dead zones, along with overfishing. Finally, animal agriculture is said to be responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the FAO. Can you see how this is adding up?

Society has become conditioned to believe that meat and dairy are healthy and essential parts of our diet. How were we supposed to think any differently if this has been ingrained in us since birth? We have been told that milk makes our bones stronger and that meat makes our muscles bigger.

But what they don’t tell us is that a person who eliminates animal products from their diet produces the equivalent of 50 percent less carbon dioxide, uses one-eleventh oil, one-thirteenth water and one-eighteenth land compared to a meat lover, according to  “The Carbon Footprint of 5 Diets Compared,” an article published by shrinkthatfootprint.com

Now more than ever, people need to know the truth about the meat and dairy industry. The planet is in critical condition and for quite some time, major environmental companies have been keeping that information hidden. Society is so comfortable with this lifestyle, along with their ignorance of the true condition that the earth is in.

This issue can’t continue to be sugarcoated like it has been for the past several years. The earth can’t withstand this treatment for too much longer before oceans become fishless, species become extinct, and all rainforests have been transformed into farmland.

However, there is some good news.

It’s completely possible for us to live sustainably and without meat and dairy products. Based on calculations made by the Water Footprint Network’s assessment tool, not only would you be benefiting your own health, but each day, you could save 1,110 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 square feet of forested land, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide and one animal’s life. We need to start thinking about the bigger picture and it would be a win win for everyone.

 

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of FIU Student Media Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

 

Image retrieved from Flickr.