Causecast

by TAMMY ROSECRANS, Causecast Editor

True, deforestation is bad, this is a fact that we have heard time and time again. But how bad is it exactly?

In 2007, 7,150 million metric tons of CO2 were emitted by the United States alone. Forests retain a great deal of carbon dioxide that would otherwise be left to escape into our atmosphere, hence drastically increasing the rate of global warming. The Brazilian Amazon is estimated to store 80-120 billion tons of carbon. It is the single largest forest carbon store on this planet. Now, imagine, if the Amazon were to be destroyed entirely…well, I hope you get the picture.

The truth is, even with a major focus on deforestation in recent years, the Amazon is being destroyed at alarming rates. According to Greenpeace, Brazil is the fourth largest climate polluter, where 75 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are a direct result of deforestation. So, who is the major culprit of this massive forest destruction? Why yes, once again it is our unhealthy obsession with red meat consumption. Some sources estimate that every 18 seconds, a hectare (2.471 acres) of land in the Amazon is lost to the cattle industry. 79.5 percent of deforested land in Brazil is used for increasing space for cattle pastures. Furthermore, the cattle industry in Brazil is responsible for 14 percent of the world’s annual deforestation. Ironic right? Destroying one of the most vital resources in combating global warming to increase the production of one of the largest greenhouse gas contributors on this planet.

In another alarming fact, Brazil’s cattle herd more than doubled in less than 15 years, from 26.6 million to 64 million cattle. Sounds devastating, well, it is, but there are organizations out there who are taking action. In collaboration with Greenpeace, companies like Bertin, JBS-Friboi, Marfrig and Minerva have agreed to implement registration processes for their ranchers that will end the purchasing of cattle from these areas of the Brazilian Amazon. These companies have agreed on the importance of climate change and are willing to monitor their cattle supply chains and also ensure that they are not purchasing from ranchers that use slave labor.

This comes as a result of Greenpeace’s June release of “Slaughtering The Amazon.” The report also calls on organizations like McDonald’s and Wal-Mart to reconsider their involvement in the Brazilian cattle industry. For more information, read the full report.

In my opinion, this is just another reason to go vegetarian! However, if you haven’t jumped on the veg-bandwagon yet here are a few tips to reduce your red meat consumption. Make sure you buy your meat locally, that way you can support small farms in your area and make sure your meat consumption isn’t contributing to Amazon deforestation.

Stand up! Take action and make fighting climate change a priority. Only 54 days remain until the Copenhagen Climate Summit!

Photo by openDemocracy, flickr.