Global Issues: Unit 3

Eat Less Meat!

A Nation Of Meat Eaters: See How It All Adds Up | NPR

Americans eat 270.7 lbs of meat per person a year, second in national consumption only to Luxembourg. Almost every meal we eat contains meat in a tremendous proportion. And while it may taste good, the impact of all this meat is dangerous. Neither our bodies nor our environment are equipped to handle such an extreme amount of meat. It would truly be in our best interest to cut down on the amount of meat we eat.

Eating less meat can be tremendously beneficial to our health. A National Cancer Institute study found that those who eat 4 ounces of red meat or more daily were thirty percent more likely to die of any cause within a ten year period. A University of Cambridge study also found that those who ate more red meat were more likely to eat more food in general. The study concluded that cutting back on red meat consumption could reduce one’s risk of diabetes and heart disease anywhere from 3 to 12 percent. Additional research found a link between processed meat and cancer, concluding that just an extra 50 grams of processed meat per day could increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 19 percent.

Aside from the impact it has on our bodies, meat consumption also has serious effects on our environment.A study by the University of Cambridge found that cutting back on red meat consumption could make the carbon footprint nearly 28 million tons smaller each year. Raising livestock is a massive industry in the United States, with roughly 30 million cows living here. These cows produce methane gas when they burp, which is a very potent greenhouse gas. As the world’s demand for beef, cheese, and milk rises, more and more cows are being introduced into agriculture. As a result, even more methane is being released into the atmosphere.

Additionally, cows need to live on large, open pastures. Farmers cut down lots of trees in order to have the space for their cows, and many even use the environmentally unfriendly technique of slash and burn to get rid of these forests. Obviously, deforestation can have serious consequences. Thousands of plants and animals lose their home when trees are cut down. Erosion increases significantly without tree roots to hold the soil in. Even worse, it causes more carbon dioxide to rise up into the atmosphere, further adding to the greenhouse gas problem.

The solution to our meat problem is shockingly simple - just eat less meat. Americans don’t necessarily have to stop eating meat altogether. The Mayo Clinic recommends going meatless one day a week to start. They also recommend trying to replace meat with other protein-rich foods such as beans, legumes, eggs, nuts, or tofu. When you do eat meat, the serving size should be no larger than 3 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards. Sausage, processed, and lunch meat should be avoided as much as possible. Eating seasonal, local, and organic foods can also help to lower the environmental impact of your meal significantly. With cancer, obesity, heart disease, and global warming on the rise, it’s hard to imagine why we wouldn’t be willing to make this easy change.