Archive for the ‘Deforestation’ tag
Deforestation in the Amazon
Amazon Basin
Between May 2000 and August 2006, Brazil
Why is the Brazilian Amazon being Destroyed?
Less Than “18 Months”
Prince Charles on Deforestation:
(European Parliament, 14 February 2008)
“We have 18 months to halt deforestation of the rain forests to preserve life on this planet.”
“Emissions (from deforestation) are comparable to those generated by the production of electricity and heat.”
“…we are destroying our planet’s air-conditioning system.”
“Amazonia’s forests alone help to store the largest body of flowing freshwater on the planet. They release 20 billion tonnes of it into the atmosphere every day…”
RESOURCES: A speech by HRH The Prince of Wales on climate change to the European Parliament in Brussels (14th February 2008) (The Prince of Wales) VIDEO: The Prince of Wales speaks about the world's rainforests (YouTube)
Deforestation
Each second, an area of tropical rain forest the size of a football field is destroyed to produce 257 hamburgers.*
In the next 24 hours, deforestation releases as much CO2 into the atmosphere as 8 million people flying from London to New York.
The average car produces 3 kg/day of CO2.
Clearing rain forest to produce beef for one hamburger produces 75 kg of CO2.
Livestock production is responsible for 90% of the Amazon deforestation since 1970 to clear land for pasture and feed crops.
*This produces an astonishing 19,275 kg of CO2 per second.
Eating Up the Amazon(p.5, p.44, PDF) (Green Peace) Livestock, Development & Deforestation Brazil's Amazon (Center for International Forestry Research) Meat is NOT Green
Meat-Free Advantages
Environment
- Stops 70% of deforestation
- Uses 2/3 less fossil fuels
- Reduces pollution from untreated animal waste
- Maintains cleaner air
- Saves up to 4.5 tons of emissions per household per year
- Stops 80% of global warming
- Vegetarian diet will cut more greenhouse gas emissions than switching to a hybrid car
- Eating vegan 1 day per week reduces emissions more than eating locally produced food all year
Stop World Starvation
- The 760 million tones of grain fed to animals could feed over 11 billion people.
- It could cover the global food shortage 14 times.
Quicker & Easier Results
- Turnover rate of farm animals is 1 to 2 years, while turnover rate of cars & power plants, etc. can be decades.
- Methane can disappear from the atmosphere in 9 to 15 years, while CO2 can stay in the atmosphere for more than a century.
- Introduction of new techniques and further research takes many years.
- Cut in CO2 involves fighting powerful and wealthy business interests, while veggie foods are readily available.