Diary 13: Climate Change and Meat Consumption 2

Fact from British Government’s Climate Change Programme 2006: If everyone in Britain were to abstain from meat one day a week over a year, this would save 13 million tones of car dioxide emissions. The carbon savings would be greater than taking 5 million cars off the road (Allan Koay, “Meaty Issue”, The Star, 10 November 2009).

Look from another angle. According to Food and Agriculture Organisation, livestock farming contributes significantly to the major environmental problems faced today. Think about this: a European com emitting a year’s worth of methane is comparable to a family-size car travelling 70,000km. Cow and pig waste worldwide weighs 5.5 billion tones annually. The gas from that and from millions of tonnes of fertilizers used in the Amazon to grow animal feed, called nitrous oxide, is a green house gas 295 times more potent than carbon dioxide. (Allan Koay, “Meaty Issue”, The Star, 10 November 2009).

We have to adjust our way of life by reducing meat consumption gradually. If you wish to fo a step further later, just give up meat consumption once and for all. Having giving up meat for the last 14 years, I do not wish to take meat any more. Some people feel that I no longer enjoy the tasty food but the truth is I enjoy great health.

When you need to choose between tasty unhealthy food and health food, consider choosing the later.