Raising beef for the American dinner table damages the environment, according to scientists. Compared with the other animal proteins, beef produces five times more heat-trapping gasses per calorie, puts out six times as much water-polluting nitrogen, takes 11 times more water for irrigation and uses 28 times the land, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Cows burp methane, a greenhouse gas that is more potent than carbon dioxide. The manure used to grow food for cows also releases methane, as does their own bodily waste.
Consuming beef damages one’s health, a well-known fact. The diet that is scientifically proven to fight our nation’s largest public health threats — obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease — is one rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes — not meat.
