One of the most eye opening things I heard in my entire life was that the livestock industry (animals and all of their direct byproducts) produces more than 51% of all greenhouse gases on earth. Growing up I thought that cars were the worst thing for the environment. It was surprising that what I ate contributed so much to the well-being of our planet. Some outdated data suggested that livestock produced 18% of greenhouse gases (still a considerable amount). It has become much clearer that animal husbandry is the largest contributor to the climate change. Many scientists believe that this is unsustainable and must be changed immediately, If we have any hope of continuing life on earth. The husbandry of animals requires tons of land, water, and food. The deforestation of many areas is increasing at an alarming rate. Its not difficult to see why this is bad. Increasing the amount of animals and decreasing the amount of plants is incredibly counter intuitive. Its upsetting how we let this happen, but meat is such a central part to our lives. I have been a vegetarian for a few months now, and can say with certainty that meat is essential to every culture.

Where there is great concern there is also great excitement. Many companies are trying to produce meat substitutes that are designed to satisfy everyone. I must say that it is very promising and will definitely be able to replace every popular meat. Impossible Foods, for example, has created a meatless burger that “bleeds” just like beef. There is so much promise that it’s hard to not get excited. It is a win-win in the truest sense of the term. Its healthier than meat, no animals are killed, and it tastes just as good. The only problem is, is that it’s kind of expensive, but the price should go down when (hopefully) more people begin to eat it. With our environment in bad shape, I know I look forward to a day when Animal Husbandry is a thing of the past, and our “meat” is made of plants. 

http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/

http://www.impossiblefoods.com

https://www.terrapass.com/livestock-responsible-for-51-of-greenhouse-gas-emissions