Do you realize that when you eat red meat it is doing bad to the earth?
There is a numerous reason why red meat is bad for the environment.
Not only the earth but it is also bad for your health.
There have been proven links between red meat and heart diseases. Red meat causes allergy in some people as well.
It is difficult for all of us to stop consuming red meat or any meat at all.
Nevertheless, I have found out some reasons that might help you reduce the consumption of the meat. For instance:
Animals Release Methane Gas
Meats like beef releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere more than any other kind of meat.
Most of the gas is methane. Cows produce the highest amount of methane gas.
And most of this gas comes out from their burps.
Since the consumption of meat is continually increasing, farmers are feeding cows a lot of food.
One way to deal with this could be to grow the cows faster.
This might reduce the time they spend on releasing methane gas.
However, it has its own drawbacks. We might have to clear out forests for fodder if we want to increase the consumption of the cows.
So, the only option left is silvopasture. It is the way of raising cattles inside a forest or around trees.
Doing this will allow some of the methane gases to be trapped by the trees instead of being released in the atmosphere.
Eating Meat also Increases Deforestation
Livestock fodder cultivation takes more than a quarter of land on earth.
This means that deforestation might also increase if the demand for meat increases. One of the top drivers of deforestation is beef.
By now you might already know that trees trap CO2 emission and keeps the earth from getting warmer.
And yet most of the cutting down of trees happen in tropical forests.
So, cutting down trees will release the carbons in the trees and also increase global warming.
Therefore, the lesser we consume red meat the lesser impact on the environment it makes.
Red Meat Causes Allergy in Some People
You might have already heard this before, but red meat also causes allergy in some people.
It is known as the Alpha-gal syndrome. The allergy is caused by the consumption of the meat.
However, it starts with a tick bite from Lone star tick.
This tick has been reportedly causing meat allergy in people in the US. Mostly the southeast region has seen this condition in the US.
Red Meat Might Cause Cancer.
The has been clear evidence now that eating some meat can cause bowel cancer.
This correlation between red meat and cancer is also moderated through a high consumption of processed red meat.
Some of the most consumed processed red meat like ham, bacon and salami have group 1 carcinogen.
This shows high evidence of relationship between eating red meat and cancer.
Possible Alternatives to Red Meat.
There are many alternatives to red meat. For instance, fish, poultry are your first option if you like eating meat.
Also consuming fish has proven to be beneficial in reducing the chances of cancer.
Switching into a healthier alternative for your own benefit is highly encouraged.
Furthermore, if you really care about your health the idea of veganism doesn’t seem too far fetched.
Grains and pulses could easily substitute your diet.
There are enough vegetables and beans that can easily substitute the nutrients you get from any kind of meat.
What Can We Do About it?
The problem caused by meat consumption looks huge.
We might not be able to convince everyone to stop eating beef, pork or any other kind of meat that they like.
But what we can do is reduce the impacts made on environment by red meat and reduce the consumption.
The steps we can take are:
- Aware more people about the drawbacks of eating red meat on their health.
- Aware people about the environmental impact that consumption of red meat is making.
- As mentioned earlier, try implementing silvopasture, which can reduce carbon emission by the livestock.
- Planting more trees may help reduce greenhouse gas emission to a certain extent.
- Use sustainable farming methods.
- Take initiatives from your end, because every step counts.
