Don’t Have A Cow

After investigating my carbon and ecological footprints it came to no surprise to see that I, like most people, consume at a higher rate than what is sustainable. Though, I fall below the average American’s footprint, there is no reason not to critique my own behaviors. When looking at the breakdown of my impact I saw that my diet plays a large role.

Growing up I was told to eat what was put in front of me or eat a peanut butter sandwich for dinner. Seeing as the meal cooked for me by my mom was most of the time a better option, I chose to eat whatever was on the menu that day. Most days that consisted of meat and sides, at least one of which was a vegetable.  Since coming to college my diet has seen little change.  Though I do love my vegetables, most days the star of my meal is meat.

Out of all the food that makes it to our tables every day, meat has the biggest impact. Animals that are raised to one day to end up on our plates requires a lot of input before that are ready to be cooked and plated. Livestock are typically fed corn, soybean meal, and other grains which first have to be grown using fertilizers, fuels, pesticides, water, and land. In the US, growing livestock is responsible for 167 million pounds of pesticides and 17 billion pounds of nitrogen fertilizer each year. The food is grown on more than 149 acres of cropland, which continues to increase each year as the demand for meat rises with the population. Deforestation of land is occurring to make room for more crops. Once the animals are fed, they then produce waste. This waste then pollutes our waterways which threatens our health. Overall, the production, processing, and distribution of meat is responsible for 10-40 times more greenhouse gas emissions than grains and vegetables.

It is due to this that I chose to reduce the amount of meat I eat. Limiting the amount of meat I eat can have a substantial impact on my own carbon/ecological footprint. In the beginning I plan to cut out meat at least one day a week. My plan is that by the end of the Sustainable Behavior Challenge I will be having at least 3 meatless days a week.