The meat industry is causing greenhouse gas emissions. This is largely because of the deforestation happening to accommodate the unhealthy consumption of meat. Includes, all shipping, processing, feeding, and watering needs that raising animals are associated with.
As seen in my about me section on my main blog page, the main reason why I first became vegan was because, as a student of the environment at Fleming College and Trent University, I was being exposed to the monstrosity of the meat industry.
I learned quickly that the growth of the meat industry meant the demise of ecosystems.
Most people become vegan because of animal welfare reasons, and I too have a passion for animals and their wellbeing. This was not however the main driver of my dietary changes.
This map created by the UN Food and Agriculture foundation (FAO) shows the average representation of forest cover by percentage and country in 2015. The website https://ourworldindata.org/forests offers an interactive time-lapse map of how forest have changed in just 15 years from 2000 to 2015. It is really shocking!
Keep in mind that this displays both natural and anthropogenic sources of forest stands, as well as, productive and non-productive forested areas, as stated in the image, so keep this in mind when making judgements and inferences please. Healthy forests are natural productive stands that are not planted and maintained for human use, or non-productive.
What do the studies say?
There have been many studies on how veganism or stopping the industrial consumption of meat could save the planet from climate change symptoms such as deforestation linking as well to greenhouse gas emissions.
An article by Christopher J. Bryant states that “Animal agriculture is responsible for up to 91% of deforestation in the Amazon”.
The 91% statistic, of course, includes; land for animals to graze, land to grow food for the animals to eat, and land for roads and processing centers to be created.
Animal agriculture also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, according to Bryant, 14.6% of greenhouse gas emissions are produced solely by the meat industry.
Going vegan may not be the answer to the greenhouse gas emissions problem. But it is a start. The statistic of 14.6% does not include meat industries, transportation, and how they process the products. If these were included, the percentage would be significantly larger and show a more accurate representation.
There is a huge falsehood being told currently to the general population. Claiming that using electricity and driving your car are the largest contributing factors of greenhouse gas emissions. The given percentage by the EPA is that 28.2% of greenhouse gas emissions in the US are because of cars alone.
This however, is false advertising. The largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions is in fact industry and corporation (includes the meat industry largely). They found that loophole that allows them to do what they want.
The given statistic means that 28.2% of emissions, based on calculations and predictions, are from American cars, NOT the entire world's pollution.
Claiming that even a statistic of car usage (28.2%) is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions is misleading. This leaves 71.8% of greenhouse gas emissions being caused by some unknown factors (industry and big corporations).
This lie goes even deeper into our ideologies as it is indoctrinated into our education system, teaching kids not to idle their cars, turn off lights, feel guilty that you are the cause of climate change, not the big industries. Then comes climate anxiety for the future generations, all because of one big lie.
The best documentary that I have found that influenced me significantly and opened up my mind to doing my own research is “Cowspiracy”. If you are interested in what I am saying, a great starting place for yourself is this documentary.
As deforestation is occurring because of the high demand for meat, there are aspects that come from fewer trees. The select few items that I would like to discuss include; water quality, air quality, soil degradation, and species & habitat loss. These are only a handful of the many issues that come along with deforestation.
Water Quality
Water quality is affected by deforestation because headwaters, where water cycles and new watersheds begin, come from shaded, cooler, high oxygen, and controlled erosion zones. Trees provide the perfect ecosystem for headwater streams to begin and produce freshwater.
Trees also provide erosion control for banks of pre-existing water such as rivers, lakes, and streams, they provide shade. Shading is very important for water because it cools water down. Cooler water means higher oxygen content, meaning it provides a better habitat for fish and aquatic biota and flora that maintains the health of the entire water system.
Water that has little to no trees nearby has lower oxygen which means different species can survive. This kills the existing species. Is warmer which also influences the species, and is more prone to bacterial growth and salinization. Fewer trees also means higher potential for stream bank erosion making water muddy killing flora.
This article by Forti, M.C et al. is a great resource for looking at the impacts of deforestation on water quality. They go into depth on the Amazonian rainforest through models of impact assessment of water biota and quality due to the loss of trees and habitat.
The large lack of trees in turn can cause a large scale drying and desertification of the region from both pollution and excess exposure of existing water bodies to the sun and air causing drought in many local areas.
Air Quality
Air quality globally and locally are largely impacted by deforestation due to both anthropogenic and natural causes. By natural causes I refer to natural processes that happen due to the change of an ecosystem from having trees to not having trees.
The anthropogenic cause of deforestation on air quality includes the use of machinery emitting greenhouse gases, this is mostly seen locally as a decrease in air quality and increase in sound pollution. Taking away the trees that would otherwise absorb the sound and pollution causes the pollution to linger and potentially be trapped in the area if surrounded on all sides by forest and little to no wind flow.
The natural outcomes on air quality from deforestation includes lack of carbon sequestration activity, causing the carbon that is stored in the trees, plants, and soil to be released into the atmosphere and new carbon no longer able to be captured.
This article by Richard Betts et al. is a great resource in understanding the impacts of deforestation on air quality in the Amazon forest. Touching, in depth, on the effect of a large-scale drought on the region.
Soil Degradation
Deforestation is the leading cause of soil degradation and is a leading environmental issue on a global scale. Soil degradation is defined as the decline in soil condition due to poor management.
Soil is very important as a home to millions of organisms and bacteria that support the very being of our existence (Darwinism). Without soil there would be nothing but water. Soil is the product of parent materials (rocks) and organic matter (plant decay). The ideal make-up of soil is rock, organic matter, and water with a mixture of sand, silt, and clay. Clay being the smallest portion but the most important part of the soil itself.
Soil degradation means that the nutrients within the soil are depleted in some way, in the case of deforestation it is because the trees and plants have been disturbed and the lack of biomass occurring from tree decay causes the soil to change and nutrients to wash away and become depleted. This makes it difficult for plants to regrow and reclaim the land on their own.
The depletion of nutrients means that soil fertility is very low and the soil has no nutrients to give to plants
Soil degradation also means that the salinity will increase making the soil even less fertile for plant growth. Salinity is the mineral/salt, or more specifically the sodium or chlorine contents within the soil. Having too much salinity causes an increased rate of soil drying. Salt accumulates because it remains in the soil and takes longer to wash out, unlike nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon.
As well as nutrient deficiency, soil degradation includes a decline in structure making erosion, soil compaction, and surface sealing next to impossible to protect the deeper interior of the ground. This prevents any seeds that remain in the ground from being unable to grow.
Often when deforestation occurs, soil compaction is a major problem, and for the land to be used, the ground must be tilled which releases even more carbon into the atmosphere contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
The highlighted parts of this book on google are very helpful in shedding light on issues and explaining them in general terms of understanding.
Species & Habitat Loss
Deforestation causes habitat loss for almost every animal and insect out there. The forest and grasslands within the forests are home to all of the living things on earth besides humans.
As habitats become destroyed, species need to move. When species move they interact, most of the time in negative ways because of their pre-arranged boundaries. Predators for example will only hunt in areas allowed or risk being hunted by the other colony of the same species because they are intruding on their land. Oftentimes this ends in animals being killed by other animals.
As habitats are destroyed, animals are always found in the wreckage, dead and injured from the big machines not caring about the animals being in the way scared and helpless. This also causes species loss and the endangerment of animals and insects.
The Amazon rainforest is home to millions of unique species that are only able to grow under the conditions found in the amazon. Plants that are claimed to cure cancer and other common diseases and illnesses known to humankind. These too are being decimated with the forest.
This article by Barry W. Brook et al. is a great resource for understanding to what extent deforestation causes habitat and species loss. They discuss the impact of deforestation on species loss in a Singapore forest. Some of the statistics are overwhelming just within the first few sentences, if you are to read anything from this post, this is the article to take time to read!
Final Remarks
Thank you for sticking with me through this detail oriented, heart wrenching but good to know, segment on deforestation and how veganism can help stop this act of hate.
The Earth needs more people who care enough to stop the destruction and killing that is going on every second of every day.
Who would think that something as simple as changing one aspect of our diets could make a world of difference?
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