According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, human diets consisting of  meat consumption cause more greenhouse gasses to spill into the atmosphere than both industrial and transportation contributions. The hidden environmental costs of food production are entwined in a dangerous and wasteful web of energy consumption. We are looking at a large build up of atmospheric greenhouse gases paired with heavy environmental costs due to transportation, refrigeration and fuel for farming, as well as methane emissions from plants and animals.

We enter into the meat industry and the amount of methane being emitted is disastrous. Cows emit between 2.5 and 4.7 ounces of methane for each pound of beef they produce. The global warming potential of methane increases 23 times and is equivalent to 6.8 pounds of CO2 per each pound of beef produced. Furthermore, the economically efficient CAFO (http://www.sierraclub.org/factoryfarms/) system is not the cleanest production method but FAO implies that the world average emissions from producing a pound of beef are several times the CAFO amount.

Solutions?

It is important to give careful thought to diet and the consequences for the planet if limiting the emissions of greenhouse gases is to be a realistic goal.

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The infinite secrets uncovered beneath the ocean waters are the current way that scientists travel back in time to peek into the past movements of this fast-paced and ever changing climate. But it is not just temperature levels that our interests are settled on. Diving deeper into the dark ocean waters scientists uncover an array of sediments that, once again, remind humanity of the interconnectedness of our coexistence here on earth. The South Atlantic, for example, possesses 55.5 million year old deposits of clay. The red color is part of a sedimentary sequence that projects the conditioning change of the acidity of ocean water. What does that mean? Well, as carbon dioxide rises into the atmosphere, our beautiful crystalline oceans continue to absorb almost half of it. Furthermore, the ocean turns CO2 into Carbonic Acid, which we drink in our sodas. According to paleo-oceanographer, James Zachos, among those most affected were the grain-sized bottom dwelling organism; one third of which are extinct.

During the industrialized times, the ocean was much more alkaline and 55 million years ago the pH shift was much more extreme but, as of today, the conditions indicate that we are surpassing this in through to the next century. If, indeed, this shift doubles by the year 2300, the pH of the ocean will approach 7.0, the dividing line between alkalinity and acidity.

The escalation of CO2 deposition is on a rampage. Research and environmental organizations, like H.O.P.E, tracks these changes through observing environmental trends and emphasize that consequences are inevitable at the pace that industrialization has escalated in. Indeed, 55.5 million years has been covered up by time but adding a big load of CO2 into the water in just a few millenniums is a drastic difference rather than adding the same amount in only a few centuries.

5°C separates today’s world from the ice age and it is predicted that in the next hundred years that global temperature could increase between 1.5 and 4.5°C. Predictions are based on research, observing patterns and recording, for example, precipitation. Recently, the National Geographic channel noted that carbon dioxide was at its highest level since the past 450,000 years! Extreme weather patterns put both humans and resources at risk. Hurricanes, droughts and a decrease of species habitats make the natural adaptations of various ecosystems almost impossible. Ever since the industrial revolution, rates of extinction have escalated and emerging diseases already attribute to 40% of human deaths from environmental causes. Rising coastlines, the increase in disease and falling agricultural output is mainly attributed to rich nations. These countries have had rising emissions and absolutely NO decreases like the KYOTO protocol mandated.

This climate change treaty was negotiated in 1997 and became law on February 8, 2008. The purpose was to set targets for the emissions of greenhouse gases. Ratification from the countries that are responsible for over half of the global greenhouse emissions (i.e. U.S. and Russia) would need to ratify the treaty in order for it to be binding. In Japan, specific targets were agreed on by developed countries, which presented a general framework for the maximum amount of CO2 pollution that they are allowed to emit.

H.O.P.E endorses green energy from natural forms that won’t run out and are clean and safe. Do you want to live in a respiratory devastating wasteland? Then join us to endorse solar, wind, biomass and hydroelectric energy sources. The U.S. Government refuses to comply with standards of the protocol due to the value of its investments. Switching from polluting fossil fuels and endorsing cost-effective business solutions like energy efficiency should be the priority, if not for the government, then for corporations and people. If you want to join us and help promote global solutions, then you will be helping the convention’s ultimate aim—preventing hazardous man-made obstructions in the environment.