Meat

I read this article in the International Herald Tribune, Meat and the planet. It's one of the many things that we should be concerned about but usually don't think it's really very important.

Greenhouse Gases: 14% automobile, 18% livestock

Global livestock grazing and feed production use "30 percent of the land surface of the planet." Livestock — which consume more food than they yield — also compete directly with humans for water. And the drive to expand grazing land destroys more biologically sensitive terrain, rain forests especially, than anything else.

Reference to the original study was also made in the Red Orbit, Cow 'Emissions' More Damaging to Planet Than CO2 From Cars.

Cows also soak up vast amounts of water: it takes a staggering 990 litres of water to produce one litre of milk.

The full 400 page study is available at Livestock's long shadow. This is just one more reason for me to cut back or cut out meat entirely. I've done it before. Perhaps my leanings towards Buddhism will help. It's always easy to say that it doesn't really matter or that the science is flawed, but, in the midst of the mildest winter I can recall in Korea, I think we need to start thinking about it.