Saving the Environment One Vegan Burger at a Time?

Veganism evokes a range of feelings for each person. Some may experience terror upon hearing the word while shielding their precious pepperoni pizzas from the eyes of the vegan missionaries. However, others may whole-heartedly agree with the concept and, in fact, embrace it. Regardless of which side of the spectrum you fall on many are claiming that veganism is the way to go, based on recent studies published in many prominent academic journals. 

According to The Guardian, a U.K. based online publication, “Avoiding meat and dairy products is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet.” This statement may seem extremely radical to some, but there’s some much needed context behind it. The ecological footprint of meat is unsustainable. The production and packaging of meat causes pollution through fossil fuel usage, the release of methane, animal-based sewage waste, and water and land consumption. In fact, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition claims that the production of one calorie of animal protein requires more than ten times the fossil fuel input (thespruceeats.com).

Animal production requires fossil fuel input in the form of feed. In the U.S. 31.1 million hectares of soybeans have been designated as feed for animal production. However, these soybeans are supplied with large amounts of fossil fuel energy in the form of pesticides and fertilizers (onegreenplanet.org).

It’s estimated that an average cow requires 284 gallons of oil (oil produces many chemicals which are then used in fertilizers and pesticides) in its lifetime, which is very short as the cow is fattened and then butchered for meat. After the feed is harvested through processes requiring energy, it is transferred to the farms where the animals are reared. This also requires additional energy as the feed is transported through vehicles.

A cow releases an average of a 100 kilograms of methane per year (peta.org). Methane, for those who are not aware, is a greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide. But methane’s negative impact on the environment is 23 times higher than the effect of carbon dioxide. Ruminants (animals that store their food and chew it over time) release two billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year. 2.8 billion metric tons of additional C02 is released through the clearing of forest land in order to provide more farming and grazing land.

Animal production also has an extremely large water footprint, and some go as far as to say that it has one of the largest on the planet. According to The Guardian, an average American’s diet requires 4,200 gallons of water per day which includes drinking water, and irrigation of feed whereas a vegan diet requires only 300 gallons of water. Along with that, factory farms or “feedlots” contain thousands of animals such as cows, pigs, and chickens which produce a large amount of waste. In the U.S., these farms generate more than 130 times the amount of waste tha humans do (content.sierraclub.org). Waste generated from feedlots has polluted rivers and contaminated the groundwater table. This has resulted in the death of a large number of aquatic animals.

According to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), “China, the U.S, the European Union, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand are responsible for over 60 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions for the meat and dairy industries.”

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an academic journal, claims that the environmental impact of beef production is significantly worse than that of dairy, poultry, pork, and eggs (iflscience.com). Many sources report that beef requires 28 times more land, 11 times more water, and results in 5 times more greenhouse gas emissions than other types of meat.

Ms. Barga, an IB English teacher at AISG, has a lot to say about the environmental impacts of meat. She recently cut out all sources of meat (except fish) and dairy from her diet, and has been an on-and-off vegetarian since she was in high school, when she claims that she was “a junk-food vegetarian.” When asked why she chose to alter her diet, she says that “[she] read a lot about how if people could give up even some of their animal protein, it would have a big impact on the environment.” She goes on to say that making the change was easy for her because she had many good protein sources, adding that meat was like “ice cream” to her because it was something she “enjoyed but didn’t need.”

For those who are hesitant about cutting meat entirely out of their diet, limiting their intake of beef can still contribute to the environment. Simran L, a sophomore, says that she doesn’t eat beef because of religious reasons but is “glad to know that [her] personal decision is affecting the environment in a good way.” Emily A, has been a pollo-vegetarian (someone whose only source of meat is chicken) for three years and claims that she’s “never looked back.” She changed her diet after hearing her teacher talk about the “inhumane ways in which animals are treated in slaughter-houses.” She claims that making the change is easy provided that one “has the right mindset” and adds that there are many environmentally friendly as well as tasty vegetarian options especially in China which people should seriously consider trying.

When asked about her thoughts on this issue, Lillian L, said that although she “feels worried for the environment” she is hesitant to give up meat because “she likes burgers too much.” If you’re like her, vegan burgers seem like the way to go.

Allegedly, they taste just like real ones.