Livestock Farming Essay

The Role of Livestock Farming in Global Warming

Livestock farming plays an integral role in the lives of individuals all over the world. Despite the magnitude of animal agriculture, research on its environment effects has been severely lacking in the past. Recent studies have shown that greenhouse gas emissions from livestock play a much bigger role in global warming than was once thought (Gill, 2009; Miller et. al 2013). The session that I propose will look at the greenhouse gasses emitted by livestock farming and the effects that this has on the ecological environment. Topics will include human reliance on domesticated animals, greenhouse gasses emitted by livestock farming, indirect ecological effects of animal agriculture relating to biodiversity and the water supply, and

Producing animal protein requires much more water than the production of plant-based protein. This is because a large amount of water, about 25 x 1013 L, is required just for the crops that the animal factories use to feed the livestock (Pimentel et al., 2004). A “vegetarian diet conserves the equivalent of 54% of the average weekly per capita indoor water consumption […] compared with a savings of 35%, estimated by the American Water Works Association, by installing more-efficient water fixtures and regularly checking for leaks” (Marlow et. al, 2009). The link between diet and environmental conservation is clear and can also be seen in terms of livestock waste. Approximately 1.5 billion tons of waste is produced every year by livestock in the United States alone (Pimentel at. Al 2004). This waste goes on to pollute water ways and oceans, spreading pathogens, such as E. Coli, and creating dead zones. The World Health Organization and the US Department of Agriculture recognize the levels of nitrogen, phosphorous, and traces of metals and antibiotics in livestock waste as a serious public health problem (Marlow et. al,