UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Addresses Health Impacts of Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Video address by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon send a clear message to governments and Copenhagen negotiators about the importance of addressing health in climate change mitigation strategies.

-Eating Less Meat
-Greater use of Public Transportation
-Reduction of Household Energy Emissions

Take action here: http://51percent.org/
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Livestock Responsible for 51% of GHG Emissions
http://51percent.org/

A recent authoritative report published by the World Watch institute, authors Goodland and Anhang concluded that over 51% of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions come from Livestock.

In the run up to the Copenhagen climate change summit, it is vital the following information be disseminated to the public as well as to our political leaders.

A widely cited 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Livestocks Long Shadow, estimates that 18 percent of annual worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are attributable to livestock.however recent analysis by Goodland and Anhang co-authors of Livestock and Climate Change in the latest issue of World Watch magazine found that livestock and their byproducts actually account for at least 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, or 51 percent of annual worldwide GHG emissions!

The main sources of GHGs from animal agriculture are: 1. Deforestation of the rainforests to grow feed for livestock.
2. Methane from manure waste. Methane is 72 times more potent as a global warming gas than CO2
3. Refrigeration and transport of meat around the world.
4. Raising, processing and slaughtering of the animal.

Meat production also uses a massive amount of water and other resources which would be better used to feed the worlds hungry and provide water to those in need.

Based on their research, Goodland and Anhang conclude that replacing livestock products with soy-based and other alternatives would be the best strategy for reversing climate change. They say This approach would have far more rapid effects on GHG emissions and their atmospheric concentrations-and thus on the rate the climate is warming-than actions to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy.

The fact is that we are being informed of the dangerous path we are on by depending greatly on animal flesh for human consumption. We still have the opportunity to make the most effective steps in saving ourselves and this planet. By simply choosing a plant based diet we can reduce our carbon foot print by a huge amount.

We are gambling with our lives and with those of our future generations to come. Its madness to know we are fully aware of the possible consequences but yet are failing to act.

Please make a truly environmental, healthy and compassionate choice, choose to drastically reduce your meat intake or simply go vegetarian or vegan. This is the single most powerful action for preventing climate change as it is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

http://51percent.org

"Livestock and Climate Change" World Watch Report
http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/Livestock%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Copenhagen
• Ban Ki Moon
• UN
• Secretary General
• health
• greenhouse gas
• emission
• meat consumption
• livestock
• climate change
• COP15
• meat
• factory farm
• greenhouse
• methane
• carbon
• carbon dioxide

[trithr]

Listen 2:18 "Experts say that eating less meat will also minimize our impact on the environment and help reduce Green House Gas emissions. The message is clear. Climate change is about our health and the health about our planet. We are all in this together."~UN Sec'y-Gen'l Ban Ki-Moon

That's great!!!

~Please BE VEG, Go Green. Save our Planet.

[allygoodo]

So with you Trithr. Why is it the last aspect of climate change to be addressed when the UN itself's said our huge oversonsumption of meat's worse for the planet than the entire transportation industry? It's really not that hard to change - just so ingrained. (no pun intended:) Slowly goes it, I guess. Seems like mother earth's asking us to pick up the pace though with weekly earthquakes...

Vege goodness :)