Climate change, or global warming, is caused by trapped heat within our atmosphere by greenhouse gases. The three biggest greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrus oxide, which are all produced by animal agriculture. Carbon dioxide is one of the more common greenhouse gases, but methane is twenty times more powerful and nitrus oxide over three-hundred times more powerful. The United Nations have reported that animal agriculture is responsible for eighteen percent of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Animal agriculture is the largest emitter of nitrous oxide, generating sixty-five percent of the world’s emissions. It is also the largest methane producer in America. When compared to veganism, the vegetarian practice of consuming no animal products at all, animal agriculture produces about seven times more greenhouse gases. Veganism has also been reported to save one-hundred and fifty percent as much carbon emissions as a Toyota Prius, one of the leading environmentally-friendly cars. A big percentage of animal greenhouse gases is produced from enteric fermentation, the scientific term for belching and farting. Waste from livestock also produces problems. Thirty percent of the greenhouse gases animal agriculture emits is from enteric fermentation and waste. The waste contains pathogens like E coli. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that livestock produce three times more waste than humans. For one pound of beef it requires forty-four pounds of livestock waste. All that waste pollutes, along with confined facilities, plowing, fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides. Animal agriculture uses fifty percent of antibiotics and thirty-seven percent of pesticide and in America. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that ninety-five percent of pesticide residue found in American diets comes from animal agriculture. Through greenhouse gases and
Climate change, or global warming, is caused by trapped heat within our atmosphere by greenhouse gases. The three biggest greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrus oxide, which are all produced by animal agriculture. Carbon dioxide is one of the more common greenhouse gases, but methane is twenty times more powerful and nitrus oxide over three-hundred times more powerful. The United Nations have reported that animal agriculture is responsible for eighteen percent of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Animal agriculture is the largest emitter of nitrous oxide, generating sixty-five percent of the world’s emissions. It is also the largest methane producer in America. When compared to veganism, the vegetarian practice of consuming no animal products at all, animal agriculture produces about seven times more greenhouse gases. Veganism has also been reported to save one-hundred and fifty percent as much carbon emissions as a Toyota Prius, one of the leading environmentally-friendly cars. A big percentage of animal greenhouse gases is produced from enteric fermentation, the scientific term for belching and farting. Waste from livestock also produces problems. Thirty percent of the greenhouse gases animal agriculture emits is from enteric fermentation and waste. The waste contains pathogens like E coli. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that livestock produce three times more waste than humans. For one pound of beef it requires forty-four pounds of livestock waste. All that waste pollutes, along with confined facilities, plowing, fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides. Animal agriculture uses fifty percent of antibiotics and thirty-seven percent of pesticide and in America. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that ninety-five percent of pesticide residue found in American diets comes from animal agriculture. Through greenhouse gases and