Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
for planetary health, forget about counting
calories & carbs. count CO
2
e.
we used
bon appétit
's carbon calculator (thanks!) to share with you the
“points” of some typical meals.
CO
2
e (or carbon dioxide equivalent) is
an internationally recognized measure of the amount of global warming
from greenhouse gases like methane. 1 “point” equals 1 gram of CO
2
e.
breakfast
lunch
dinner
1061 points = 2.34 lb CO
2
e
• scrambled eggs
• 3-4 strips of bacon
• toast & butter
1288 points = 2.84 lb CO
2
e
• 2 slices of
pepperoni pizza
1443 points = 3.18 lb CO
2
e
• chicken & cheese burrito
(with the works)
• side of rice & beans
779 points = 1.72 lb CO
2
e
• yogurt with banana &
granola
• 1 hard-boiled egg
1254 points = 2.76 lb CO
2
e
• turkey & cheese sandwich
• side of french fries
1286 points = 2.84 lb CO
2
e
• 4 oz of grilled farmed
salmon
• 1/2 cup of steamed
seasonal veggies
331 points = 0.73 lb CO
2
e
• steel cut oats
• toast & jam
• seasonal fruit
(like 1 small apple)
487 points = 1.07 lb CO
2
e
• vegetarian chili
• side garden salad
447 points = 0.99 lb CO
2
e
• spaghetti with marinara
• 1/2 cup of grilled
seasonal vegetables
to significant pollution of the air and water, and is producing ex-
cessive amounts of GHGs.
Animal agriculture, including billions of pigs, chickens, and
cattle raised with industrial-style methods, contributes more than
one-third of all annual methane emissions, with the rest coming
from landfills, rice cultivation, and other natural sources. While
individual cows don't emit that much methane—just about 80 to
110 kilograms each year—the more than 1 billion ruminant animals
worldwide produce untenable amounts of methane during enteric
fermentation, the digestive process that breaks down food in their
multiple stomachs. In fact, ruminant animals produce 86 million
metric tons of methane worldwide.
