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THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

OF BEEF AND DAIRY


By: Kassie Kallestad

How much beef does the U.S.


consume each year?
24,100,000,000 pounds in 2014
Down 1.4 billion lbs. from 2013 largely because of cost
increases (NCBA, 2015)
Approximately 441 gallons of water is required per pound of
beef produced (CBB, 2012)
That means about 10,628,100,000,000 gallons of water was
used to produce the beef consumed in the U.S. in 2014

What impact do Cattle have on the


environment?
Land Use
Contribute Deforestation
On average a single cow requires1.8 acres
when grass is the main food source (NRCS,
2015)
When some ranchers have 1000s of cattle
this adds up quickly!!!

Water use
441 gallons per lb. of beef (CBB, 2012)

Contributes to Ocean Dead Zones

Habitat destruction
Brazilian Amazon Rainforest

Air pollution

Short lived climate pollutant (SLCP) released into


atmosphere

Ground and water


pollution

Fecal matter- best way to dispose is by composting in


an anaerobic environment
Difficult to collect and education (Scovronick,
2015)
When not disposed of properly more greenhouse
gases are released can contaminate ground water,
rivers, lakes, and oceans (Scovronick, 2015)

Increases in
Healthcare Costs

What are SLCPs?


A SLCP is a short-lived climate pollutant
Methane- Industry, Agriculture, Household waste
Black carbon- Industry, Agriculture
Ozone- Agriculture, transportation, Industry
Hydrofluorocarbons- household (refrigerants, aerosol, etc.), Industry, Electricity
Significance of these pollutants is that they can be reduced more quickly compared to CO2
(because of their short lifespans) with equal or greater success in reducing harmful pollutants to
the our atmosphere.
(EPA, 2015)

Red meat and its effect on our


health Alternate Plant Products:

Experts predict that consumption of meat products will increase substantially


in the coming decades
Green house gases that are grossly associated with agriculture are estimated to
increase nearly 80% by 2050

According WHO red and processed meats are carcinogenic (Scovronick, 2015)
Red meat provides good nutrition to humans in small quantities, however, the
environmental expense is very high.
A diet rich with fruits and vegetables can provide the all essential nutrients
without any animal products

Alternate dairy products- Soy, Rice,


or almond
Tofu, quinoa, legumes
Fortified foods
Enriched foods
Combinations of plant based foods
provide adequate B vitamins- Rice
and Beans
Meat and Dairy Provide:
Calcium
Vitamin D
B Vitamins
Protein
Can be high in fat
Contribute to high blood pressure
and heart disease

Pound for pound,


the comparative
4
impact of CH4on
A short-lived climate pollutant with a
climate change is
life of 12 years (Scovronick, 2015)
more than 25 times
CO2 has a lifespan that can last
greater than CO2over
hundreds of years (EPA, 2015)
a 100-year period.
Largest source of Methane is Agriculture (EPA, 2015)

CH Methane

followed by waste management

Methane is the second largest


contributor to air pollution (#1 is CO2)
(EPA, 2015)

N2O-Nitrous Oxide
Agricultural manure and Fertilizers are
two of the main contributors of nitrous
oxide, a greenhouse gas and air
pollutant(EPA, 2015)
Fertilizers and herbicides are used
to grow crops that are fed to the
cattle

Lifespan is about 100 years

We are currently
growing enough
food to feed 10
billion people.

(Scovronick,

2015)

Worldwide, at least
50% of grain is fed
to livestock.
(Scovronick, 2015)

(Scovronick, 2015)

Is it worth it to eat beef?


The environmental impact of the beef
industry is so high and all of the
nutritional benefits we find in red meat
can be found in other food sources. Is it
worth it for us to consume beef?
I dont think it is reasonable to ask
everyone to become a vegetarian,
however, there are changes that we can
make.
Consume less beef
Decrease dairy consumption and incorporate
alternate dairy products into your diet
Consume more fruits and vegetables
Find out more information

(Scovronick, 2015)

References
N.a."USDA ERS - Cattle & Beef: Statistics & Information." USDA ERS - Cattle & Beef: Statistics &
Information. National Cattlemen's Beef Association, 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. (NCBA, 2015)
Beil, Laura. "Getting Creative to Cut Methane from Cows." Science News. The Society for Science and the
Public, 18 Nov. 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. (Beil, 2015)
N.a."Beef and Water Use Fact Sheet."Www.explorebeef.org. Cattlemen's Beef Board, 2012. Web. 15 Nov.
2015.(CBB, 2012)
Scovronick, Noah. "Reducing Global Health Risks Through Mitigation of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants.
Scoping Report For Policy-makers."Www.who.int. World Health Organization, 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.
(Scovronick, 2015)
N.a."Overview of Greenhouse Gases."Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Greenhouse Gases Overview. WCMS, 4
Nov. 2015. Web. 15 Nov. 2015.(EPA, 2015)
N.a."Balancing Your Animals with Your Forage."Www.nrcs.usda.gov. Natural Resources Conservation
Service, 2009. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. (NRCS, 2015)
N.a."WaterSense Labeled Toilets."Fact Sheet. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 15 Nov. 2015. Web.
15 Nov. 2015. (U.S. EPA, 2015)

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