Episode Details

Beef and climate change. Fact-checking 'What I've Learned"'s video on red meat and climate change, climate science evidence on meat, esp. beef, and environmental impact

What I’ve learned: beef isnt that polluting

raising animals= greenhouse emissions. growing their food = more emissions. eliminating animal agriculture reduces greenhouse emissions GHGs by 2.6%?

stop raising animals BUT keep growing tons of corn even tho cows and pigs and chickens are gone

grow tons of corn. our diet = 80% grains, mostly corn

even with these crops =better for environment, less emissions

if we keep producing animal food emissions don’t change as much

farmers would stop growing food for cows? continue to grow animal feed?

Feedlot diet: plant-based scenario= 5,000 cals
3,000cals from corn (24 ears of corn)
if farmers didn’t change, kept putting out corn? (assuming crops in proportions currently grown)

no animals but produce their food? environmental improvement = not large

worth moderating animal agriculture? animal agriculture esp. beef, corn in monoculture, generates less emissions

no animal products = lower food GHG emissions

US meat = 3x the global average, dietary change has greater effect, reducing food emissions by 61-73%”

we eat more beef, change our diet

no animal products: “28% reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions”. emissions from food in half, total emissions down by 28%

50% reduction in animal products = 20% less emissions

animal products = majority of food-related emissions (70% of agricultural emissions). “meat dominates impacts on emissions”

moderating animal foods. reducing food waste cuts food emissions by 9%, changing diet, moderating animal foods, 56% less emissions from food

total emissions? GHG emissions require diet change
less animal products, esp. beef= effective to reduce dietary emissions
no Animal Agriculture = 56% less Emissions

less emissions: cattle to pigs/chicken. more impact than plants, less than red meat

red meat? do environmental scientists hate beef? environmental impact is disproportionate

emissions for plant foods. bigger emissions: eggs, dairy, fish, chicken, pork, beef. higher than other animal products

meat (beef or lamb) = environmental impact 20–100 times plants. animal products = 2–25x higher than plants. whether foods are matched by protein content, serving, or mass

beef requires more feed. 1lb of milk or eggs = 2-3lbs of plants, poultry = 2-5, pork 3-9, beef = 24-49

less cows = less crops

feeding cows grass: environment. grass-fed beef requires more water, more fossil fuels, bigger carbon footprint (emissions extend)

ruminants convert grass into human-edible protein, big environmental impact

is all beef the same? some producers cause more emissions. even cleanest beef = worse than animal foods and much worse than plant protein like beans

dietary change (foods we eat)=more benefits than tweaking production

optimizing beef

fossil fuels? can we cut fossil fuels and leave food alone?
reducing emissions from fossil fuels is essential but even if fossil fuel emissions were halted, food would prevent climate targets

climate goals require changes to food system. eliminate fossil fuels = more leeway on food

changes to transportation + energy + Food (big chunk of emissions)
many don’t want to change fossil fuels

are animals/beef a significant source of emissions? yes. will it solve climate change by itself? no

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Animations: Even Topland @toplandmedia

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