topics 5.7, 5.8, and 5.16 (meat production, overfishing, and aquaculture)

negative effects of meat

• takes 20x more land to produce same amount of calories from meat as from plants

  • aka less efficient

• a more vegetarian diet is more energy-efficient and reduces ecological foot print

• higher water footprint

feedlots / cafos benefits

huge pens designed to provide high-energy feed to animals living in high densities

• economically efficient, faster at growing animals, and reduces grazing impact

• animals given antibiotics / nutrient supplements to reduce the risk of disease

feedlots / cafos consequences

huge pens designed to provide high-energy feed to animals living in high densities

• giving animals antibiotics can lead to antibiotic-resistance strains

• produces lots of nutrient pollution and waste

grazing benefits

grazing consequences

• can lead to overgrazing if plants don’t regenerate adequately

  • exposes soil and can lead to soil erosion

• desertification

  • american west is highly susceptible due to long-time drought and grazing

• requires more land

grazing benefits

• organic waste acts as fertilizer

• animals can be raised on land that is too dry to farm

overfishing consequences

leads to the scarcity of some fish species, which causes a decrease in biodiversity, which hurts the fishing industry

• classic example of the tragedy of the common