It’s not uncommon for Americans to eat meat at every meal – bacon with breakfast, a turkey sandwich at lunch, steak for dinner. Worldwide, meat production has more than quadrupled since the 1960s, when more meager portions were the norm. And mass production has driven prices down considerably.
While we all appreciate savings, the price of meat does not reflect the high environmental cost of its production, from antibiotic resistance to waterways polluted with animal waste. Livestock pasture now accounts for more than a quarter of the Earth’s ice-free landmass, and the meat industry is responsible for 15 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Our love affair with meat is simply not sustainable. Some have suggested implementing a ‘sin tax’ to reduce meat consumption, as has been done for cigarettes and alcohol. Others suggest cutting back agricultural subsidies, which artificially lower the cost of rearing livestock. Another solution lies in education.
Efforts like Meatless Mondays, popularized in 2003 by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, have had an effect on reducing meat consumption. Initially rooted in curbing heart disease, obesity, and diabetes – the campaign now highlights why meatless meals are, “good for you AND the environment.”
The government is also taking steps. In January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued its latest dietary guidelines. For the first time, they addressed environmental sustainability in addition to health. New guidelines encourage Americans to eat a largely plant-based diet with a minimal amount of red and processed meat.
This is a problem we can all help solve. Each plate can make a difference.
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The world pays too high a price for cheap meat
Photo, posted November 8, 2005, courtesy of Jeremy Keith via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio, with script contribution from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.