Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret is a 2014 documentary produced and directed by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn and executive-produced by Leonardo Dicaprio. The documentary follows Kip on his journey as an environmentalist as he investigates the effects that animal agriculture has on the Earth. It argues that most of our water and resources are being employed in growing animals that we kill and eat, suggesting that the most environmentally sustainable and helpful way to live entails consuming a plant-based diet. Now, this article is not trying to enforce this lifestyle upon you, but rather, present facts and information in order to raise awareness about that the way we are living, which could cause severe damage to the Earth and result in the Amazon’s destruction in a matter of ten years.
Animal agriculture, raising livestock for the purpose of selling them to the meat industry, is said to produce more greenhouse gas than the entire transportation system. The emissions of methane gas from their digestive system are 86 times more destructive than the carbon dioxide from vehicles. They not only contaminate the Earth, but also consume a lot of water. Raising cattle in the U.S. takes up 34 trillion gallons of water on a yearly basis, most of which are used for the animals’ consumption and growing their food. Roughly one billion people starve every day while 50% of the grains and legumes produced worldwide are used to feed these animals (source). Not to mention, the amount of waste that they produce is becoming difficult to manage. Farm animals produce 130 times more waste than humans do in the U.S. (source). If it goes without receiving any treatment, it ends up in the oceans, which are already about to collapse due to overfishing. Fishing not only takes the fish that are targeted, but also results in entangling dolphins, whales and sharks that were not meant to be fished. If a chance is not given for the ocean to recover and for the fish to reproduce, this over-exploitation could cause the oceans to become fishless by 2048.
To produce just one hamburger, 660 gallons of water are needed.
Like the ocean, rainforests are suffering as well. One to two acres of rainforest are cleared every second for the sole purpose of animal agriculture. Due to this massive destruction, close to a hundred plant and animal species have become extinct. In addition, cattle grazing (feeding on grass and pasturage) and soybean production are said to be the main cause of deforestation. These points prove that there is simply not enough land in the world to fulfill the demand of meat, as this demand will continue to grow as the population grows.
Nevertheless, the previous points do not take into account the issue of how cattle are bred, treated and slaughtered. Milking cows are inseminated to produce milk and, once they give birth, they are separated from their calves just two days after giving birth. Female calves are raised to become milking cows while males are sold into the meat industry. Once the cows grow exhausted of being milked all of their lives, they are sold with the same purpose of being slaughtered and turned into meat to sell.
The animals that survive the poor conditions in which they are bred, like being stuffed in small spaces with little water and hundreds of other animals so as to maximize production while minimizing the space used, are killed in the prime of their lives to be eaten. They are creatures that feel and deserve a better quality of life. Humans should take a second look and be more respectful and grateful to the animals that give their lives for us to be fed. It is heavily suggested in this documentary that the only compassionate way to live is with a vegan diet however, that might not be an option for everyone. Therefore we should be conscious of our choices and take into consideration this information to give these animals a better quality of life.
More info: http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/