Why Are Climate Activists Making a Fuss Over Beef?

And six actions you can take to be a more sustainable meat eater

FoodMeat, Wikimedia Commons

If you love steak, or enjoy the cost and convenience of a McDonald’s hamburger, you might be annoyed by climate activists who seem so intent on dissing beef. Or if you are wanting to do something in your everyday life that reduces your climate emissions, you may be interested in why reducing red meat consumption is one of the most effective actions you can take. So how is eating beef connected to climate change?

I will explain how beef is connected to greenhouse gas emissions using a series of pie charts and figures. If you want to skip these facts and figures, the bottom line is:

• Agriculture is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

• Livestock contribute an outsized share of those emissions.

• Most cow emissions are from cow burps, which are largely methane.

• Methane heats up the atmosphere over 80 times as quickly as CO2 over a 20-year period.

• Therefore if we can shift from beef to plant sources of protein (or even chicken, pork, or fish), we will have a large and immediate impact on slowing climate change.

1. Agriculture contributes about a quarter of Total Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG)

Livestock alone contributes about 8% of total greenhouse gases, about triple the emissions from air travel.

2. Of Total Agriculture Emissions, about 40% come from cow burps, which are referred to as “enteric” or “gut” emissions.

The problem is not so much CO2, as it is the super strong greenhouse gas methane. Over the next 20 years — a critical period for reducing our emissions — methane will warm the climate 86 times as quickly as CO2.

3. Agriculture is the largest contributor to Global Methane Emissions, and livestock alone contributes nearly a third of global methane emissions.

The fossil fuel methane emissions are largely “fugitive” — such as accidental leaks in pipelines and venting excess natural gas at fracking sites. (These transport and extraction emissions make natural gas emissions similar to those of burning coal.) Food and other organic wastes are the third largest source of methane, which is emitted when wastes decompose in landfills.

4. Cow burps are responsible for nearly 90% of Total Livestock Methane Emissions, with manure the remaining 10%.

Under current policies, emissions from agriculture are expected to increase by between 5 – 16% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. This is almost entirely due to livestock, as meat and dairy production increases in response to population growth, increasing incomes and changing diets.

Expert Panel on Livestock Methane

Why Do Cows Burp Methane?

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

When cows eat, the grass, corn or other feed goes down the esophagus to the rumen, the first of four stomach chambers. The rumen is populated by billions of microbes including bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. These microbes break down the hay and other plant foods, enabling cows to convert feed into energy and protein. This unusual digestion system of cows, and of other “ruminants” like sheep, goats, and bison, also produces a lot of methane. Cows release this methane through “eructation”, a fancy word for burping.

A cow’s diet and genetics influence how much methane it burps out. Scientists are trying to develop feeds and feed additives that reduce methane emissions and to breed cows that emit less methane.

Beef, as well as lamb and cheese, are responsible for much larger emissions than pork or poultry. This is because pigs and chicken do not have a rumen and do not release a lot of methane.

Visit this Our World in Data interactive site to compare the emissions of your favorite foods.

What Can I Do To Reduce Meat Emissions?

It was easy for me to give up meat so I eat almost completely plant-based foods (when my kids come home, they buy cheese and I eat a little). But if you can’t give up meat, you still have lots of options for a “climate carnivore” diet.

Eat pork, chicken, and fish. These animal foods have lower emissions than red meat, lamb, or cheese.

Consider meat as a treat. Eat meat occasionally but not frequently. Some people are limiting their meat consumption to several beef feast days a year, where they can really enjoy beef.

Mix ground beef with other ingredients. For example, when cooking hamburgers or lasagne, mix the ground beef with mushrooms, which can even enhance the flavor.

This World Resources Institute graphic is a reminder that beef production also consumes a lot of water and land — I’ll cover these issues in upcoming posts.

Try out plant-based protein. You might also find that the growing number and variety of plant-based products — such as Impossible Burgers and Miyoko cheese — fulfill your desire for meat and cheese. If you find they aren’t as satisfying as meat or cheese, you can use them when you mix meat or cheese with other ingredients.

Eat hunted venison!! Although not an option for many of us, in central New York State where I live, deer are so common that they eat tree and wildflower seedlings and prevent forests from regrowing. They are also a ruminant and emit methane. So anything we can do to reduce their populations many consider a plus for the environment. (Admittedly hunting is not likely to have a major impact on keeping deer populations in check.)

Urge your state attorney general* to bring legal action against the big meat companies for deceptive advertising. New York State Attorney General Tish James successfully sued JBS, the world’s largest meat producer, for falsely advertising its intent to lower its climate emissions. Other attorney generals might be interested in similar cases from the consumer protection and/or climate angle.

Parting Thoughts

Whatever action you choose, keep in mind that you will likely influence friends and family around you, as I outlined in my book In This Together: Connecting with Community to Combat the Climate Crisis. A recent study showed how romantic partners influence each others’ meat consumption!

You might think pasture-raised beef is the best way to go. Unfortunately, pasture-raised cows still burp methane, possibly even more than factory raised beef. This is a tricky issue because pasture-raised beef has many benefits for the environment and local communities. I’ll go into more depth about pasture-raised and factory-farmed meat in a future article.

Questions about meat and climate? Let me know in the Comments and I will try to cover them in a future post.

*Link goes to Climate Action Now platform to send letters to public officials.