Laura Leventhal
Contributing Writer
Meet one of the environment’s greatest degraders: the meat industry. The food industry is a well-known contributor to carbon emissions, but meat production and transportation is also a particularly large offender. The meat industry produces carbon emissions through the raising and maintenance of livestock, preparation for market and transportation to the vendor.
There has been a huge push for eating locally to help reduce carbon emissions. While this does help reduce transportation, cutting down on the amount of meat you consume is much more effective. A study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University indicates that if a household reduced red meat consumption by 30 percent for a year, they would be emitting less carbon than if they ate all their food locally for that year. Not eating any red meat (or meat at all) would be the most effective way for a globally concerned citizen, such as yourself, to help out the environment, but that is not easy. Instead of going completely vegetarian, try having a meatless-Monday or refrain from eating red meats and stick to other sources of protein such as chicken, fish, eggs and beans. We need to value the long-term wellbeing of our environment and all that inhabit it (including us!) more than the short-term idea of eating red meat for a meal.