Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn's documentary "Cowspiracy" addresses a shocking issue--something high-profile environmental conservation organizations such as Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, and Oceana fail to recognize. While we are constantly lectured on driving cars less, turning off the water while we brush our teeth, recycling, and turning off the lights when we leave a room, we fail to come to terms with the fact that animal agriculture, specifically livestock production, is our more pressing cause of concern.
Livestock production counts for 51% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.
One hamburger requires 660 gallons of water to produce. 477 gallons per pound of eggs. 900 gallons for per pound of cheese. 1000 gallons per gallon of cow's milk.
Livestock production covers 45% of the earth's land.
Animal agriculture is responsible for 91% of Amazon destruction.
And a farm with 2500 dairy cows produces the same amount of waste as a city of 411,000 people.
That's jawdropping.
Throughout the filming process of his documentary, an incredible number of organizations beat around the bush regarding this issue. Some seemed oblivious to the issue, some refused to comment. Some even refused to be spoken with. Executive officers of large dairy corporations confirmed that there is really no way to sustainably produce dairy, and other numbers show that there is no way to sustainably produce beef at the level of demands Americans place on the industry.
It seems that the blind eye turned toward this issue is an attempt to avoid discomfort. An All-American lifestyle and diet is not one that is sustainable, and the fear of being uncomfortable has the potential to kill our planet.
Personally, I'd like to save it.
