Article

Livestock and climate change

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Abstract

The life cycle and supply chain of domesticated animals reared for food account for about half of all human-caused greenhouse gases (GHG). Emissions from livestock respiration are part of a fast cycling biological system, where the plant matter eaten was itself developed through the conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide into organic compounds. The extra emissions from landuse for livestock and feed comes to around 2,672 million tons of CO 2e, while livestock generates 37% of human-induced methane. Livestock-related GHGs could be managed by governments through the imposition of carbon taxes, in which case leaders in the food industry and investors would search for opportunities that such carbon taxes would help create. Large organic-food companies might find these opportunities particularly appealing and such companies could establish subsidiaries to sell meat and dairy analogs, possibly exclusive of meat or dairy products.

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... einer Bildungsintervention auf die Konsumbereitschaft von Jugendlichen gegenüber insektenbasierten NahrungsmittelnLena Szczepanski, Jacqueline Dupont, Fenja Schade, Henrike Hellberg, Milan Büscher und Florian Fiebelkorn Mit dem stetigen Wachstum der Weltbevölkerung wird ein Anstieg des weltweiten Fleischkonsums prognostiziert(Alexandratos & Bruinsma 2012, Tostado 2021. Der steigende Fleischkonsum hat sowohl negative Auswirkungen auf die menschliche Gesundheit als auch auf die Umwelt(Campbell et al. 2017, Goodland & Anhang 2009, Steinfeld et al. 2006, Tilman & Clark 2014, Willet et al. 2019. Dabei trägt insbesondere die konventionelle Nutztierhaltung zum Klimawandel und dem Verlust der Biodiversität bei(Campbell et al. 2017, Goodland & Anhang 2009, IPCC 2019, Steinfeld et al. 2006. ...
... Der steigende Fleischkonsum hat sowohl negative Auswirkungen auf die menschliche Gesundheit als auch auf die Umwelt(Campbell et al. 2017, Goodland & Anhang 2009, Steinfeld et al. 2006, Tilman & Clark 2014, Willet et al. 2019. Dabei trägt insbesondere die konventionelle Nutztierhaltung zum Klimawandel und dem Verlust der Biodiversität bei(Campbell et al. 2017, Goodland & Anhang 2009, IPCC 2019, Steinfeld et al. 2006. Um die Ressourcen unseres Planeten zu schützen, besteht die Notwendigkeit auf nachhaltigere, alternative Proteinquellen zurückzugreifen. ...
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VielFalterGarten ist ein Citizen-Science-Projekt, das zusammen mit Bürgerinnen und Bürgern der Stadt Leipzig Tagfalter beobachtet, dokumentiert und wissenschaftlich auswertet (www.vielfaltergarten.de). Das Projekt läuft von 2020 bis voraussichtlich 2024 und ist ein Ver-bundprojekt zwischen dem Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung – UFZ, dem Deutschen Zentrum für integrative Biodiversitätsforschung (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, dem Bund für Um-welt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) Leipzig und der Stadt Leipzig, Amt für Stadtgrün und Gewässer. Gefördert wird das Projekt im Bundesprogramm Biologische Vielfalt durch das Bundesamt für Naturschutz mit Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Umwelt, Naturschutz, nukleare Sicherheit und Verbraucherschutz.
... einer Bildungsintervention auf die Konsumbereitschaft von Jugendlichen gegenüber insektenbasierten NahrungsmittelnLena Szczepanski, Jacqueline Dupont, Fenja Schade, Henrike Hellberg, Milan Büscher und Florian Fiebelkorn Mit dem stetigen Wachstum der Weltbevölkerung wird ein Anstieg des weltweiten Fleischkonsums prognostiziert(Alexandratos & Bruinsma 2012, Tostado 2021. Der steigende Fleischkonsum hat sowohl negative Auswirkungen auf die menschliche Gesundheit als auch auf die Umwelt(Campbell et al. 2017, Goodland & Anhang 2009, Steinfeld et al. 2006, Tilman & Clark 2014, Willet et al. 2019. Dabei trägt insbesondere die konventionelle Nutztierhaltung zum Klimawandel und dem Verlust der Biodiversität bei(Campbell et al. 2017, Goodland & Anhang 2009, IPCC 2019, Steinfeld et al. 2006. ...
... Der steigende Fleischkonsum hat sowohl negative Auswirkungen auf die menschliche Gesundheit als auch auf die Umwelt(Campbell et al. 2017, Goodland & Anhang 2009, Steinfeld et al. 2006, Tilman & Clark 2014, Willet et al. 2019. Dabei trägt insbesondere die konventionelle Nutztierhaltung zum Klimawandel und dem Verlust der Biodiversität bei(Campbell et al. 2017, Goodland & Anhang 2009, IPCC 2019, Steinfeld et al. 2006. Um die Ressourcen unseres Planeten zu schützen, besteht die Notwendigkeit auf nachhaltigere, alternative Proteinquellen zurückzugreifen. ...
... Moreover, "boiler" and "broiler' are weirdly entangled in a different, crucial sense. Boiler as a device provides either power (in a steam engine, which connects it to the Industrial Revolution) or heating, exactly like broiler that is bred and raised as a cheap source of energy but (if I may use it as a metonymy for the whole factory farming) is also the main factor behind global warming (goodland, Anhang, 2009;IPCC, 2019). So, while the connection between "boiler" and "broiler" may be a bit shaky (and, certainly, not as strong as the entanglement between "broad bean" and "god"), I believe the last part of Szwarc's poem makes perfect use of it: ...
... Moreover, its so-called side effects instigate a state shift in planetary living conditions, one of the best-known aspects of the Anthropocene (Steffen, Broadgate, Deutsch, gaffney, Ludwig, 2015). It becomes systematic because, as we know, multiple feedback loops render climate change nonlinear (Budziszewska, Kardaś, Bohdanowicz, 2021;Dijkstra, 2013) so what we are facing with the climate catastrophe is not simply constant warming but rather a shift towards the "planetary terra incognita" (Crutzen, Steffen, McNeill, 2007, p. 614). Perhaps this is the reason for the contradictory phrase from the second verse: the old man of humanity (at this time we no longer know if it is a Broad Bean or a Boiler since they are intra-connected) has been getting hot (because global warming does progress) and cold (because the exhausted boiler of the capitalist regime can no longer operate in the shifting conditions). ...
Article
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Putting into work the theories of Karen Barad (spacetimemattering) and Timothy Morton (ecognosis), the author of the article investigates the volume Polysaccharides (2020) by Szymon Szwarc. The Polish poet, like Barad, notices the connections and entanglements between various actors of the world (although he uses the language of molecular biology rather than the language of quantum physics). The portrayal of these connections serves him as the basis for a poetic critique of “agrilogistics”, which, according to Morton, has been a perpetual pattern of human activity since the Neolithic Revolution. The author of the article analyzes these issues, especially with regard to the poem Boiler Broad Bean . He comes to the conclusion that Szwarc develops his own consideration regarding agrilogistics, which is close to new materialism.
... Even current levels of food production may have unacceptably high ecological marginal costs, and increasing output by 70 percent certainly would. Goodland and Anhang have determined that the lifecycle and supply-chain impacts of livestock production account for at least half of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the form of methane [47]. Since methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO 2 and has a shorter half-life in the atmosphere, a reduction of flows of methane now will have a larger and quicker effect on global warming than CO 2 reductions. ...
... As a result, a 25-percent reduction in meat production would almost fully achieve the goals of the recent (failed) international climate conferences. Replacing livestock products with alternatives can also decrease forest burning and allow for substantial regeneration of forest [47]. So it is the only available strategy for both reducing emissions and increasing carbon capture on a large scale in the timeframe during which it is widely agreed that climate change must be addressed. ...
Book
The world has changed dramatically. We no longer live in a world relatively empty of humans and their artifacts. We now live in the “Anthropocene,” era in a full world where humans are dramatically altering our ecological life-support system. Our traditional economic concepts and models were developed in an empty world. If we are to create sustainable prosperity, if we seek “improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities,” we are going to need a new vision of the economy and its relationship to the rest of the world that is better adapted to the new conditions we face. We are going to need an economics that respects planetary boundaries, that recognizes the dependence of human well-being on social relations and fairness, and that recognizes that the ultimate goal is real, sustainable human well-being, not merely growth of material consumption. This new economics recognizes that the economy is embedded in a society and culture that are themselves embedded in an ecological life-support system, and that the economy cannot grow forever on this finite planet. In this report, we discuss the need to focus more directly on the goal of sustainable human well-being rather than merely GDP growth. This includes protecting and restoring nature, achieving social and intergenerational fairness (including poverty alleviation), stabilizing population, and recognizing the significant nonmarket contributions to human well-being from natural and social capital. To do this, we need to develop better measures of progress that go well beyond GDP and begin to measure human well-being and its sustainability more directly.
... Con mucha razón Goodland y Anhang [13], proponen la sustitución de la carne y otros productos pecuarios con productos a base de soya como la mejor estrategia para revertir los efectos del cambio climático, y sostienen que "este enfoque tendría resultados mucho más rápidos sobre las emisiones de GEI y sus concentraciones atmosféricas que las acciones para sustituir los combustibles fósiles por energías renovables." ...
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Ganadería de carne: su contribución al cambio climático y su creciente presión sobre los recursos naturales
... Most emissions from the livestock industry consist of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), methane (CH 4 ), and ammonia (NH 3 ). Domestic animals, as part of natural processes, emit carbon dioxide, which significantly contributes to global warming [17]. Experts caution that livestock rearing may lead us to surpass the 565 gigaton carbon dioxide limit by 2030. ...
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This study aimed to review recent developments in the agri-food industry, focusing on the integration of innovative digital systems into the livestock industry. Over the last 50 years, the production of animal-based foods has increased significantly due to the rising demand for meat. As a result, farms have increased their livestock numbers to meet consumer demand, which has exacerbated challenges related to environmental sustainability, human health, and animal welfare. In response to these challenges, precision livestock farming (PLF) technologies have emerged as a promising solution for sustainable livestock production. PLF technologies offer farmers the opportunity to increase efficiency while mitigating environmental impact, securing livelihoods, and promoting animal health and welfare. However, the adoption of PLF technologies poses several challenges for farmers and raises animal welfare concerns. Additionally, the existing legal framework for the use of PLF technologies is discussed. In summary, further research is needed to advance the scientific understanding of PLF technologies, and stakeholders, including researchers, policymakers, and funders, need to prioritize ethical considerations related to their implementation.
... Total emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) from livestock depends on the proportion of land conversion that is endorsed to livestock activities (USEPA, 2006). Goodland and Anhang (2009) reported that livestock production and its by-products contribute global warming (GHG) by about 51%, which consisted of Carbon dioxide (55-60%) and methane (15-20%) produced through fermentation in the rumen. ...
Article
This study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the nutritional and production aspects of partially replacing berseem hay (BH) with cassava (Manihot esculenta) hay (CMH) “leaves and thin twigs” in Barki ewes’ diets in terms of ruminal fermentation, milk production & it’s composition, some serum characteristics and lambs’ performance. Forty late pregnant Barki ewes with an average live body weight of 53.40±4.20 Kg were assigned to four experimental (n=10 each) diets, i.e. Control [40% berseem hay “BH” plus 60% Concentrate Feed Mixture “CFM”] or [25, 50 and 75% replacement of BH by CMH] plus the CFM for a period started 4 weeks before the expected lambing date and lasted post lambing until 8 weeks of lactation. The results showed that replacement of 75% BH with CMH resulted in increasing (P<0.05) the fractional volatile fatty acids; VFA (Acetate and propionate) and total VFA concentrations compared to other diets. Ruminal NH3-N concentrations and total protozoa were decreased (P<0.05) with 50 and 75% CMH replacement compared with the control. Milk yield as well as milk fat, protein and lactose percentages were improved (P<0.05) by replacing 75% of BH with CMH rather than other treatments. Serum total protein, albumin, globulin and urea-N slightly decreased in CMH groups than those in the BH group, while creatinine and liver enzymes (AST & ALT) were slightly increased. Also, the level of 75% replacement of BH with CMH significantly improved lambs growth rate and weaning weight compared with other diets. Thus, using 75% CMH as a replacement of BH provides a promising source of forages for sheep with positive impacts on rumen fermentation and ewes’ productivity.
... Greenhouse gas emission, especially methane from ruminants, has been recognized as an important issue worldwide as it is a driver for global warming and climate change (Kim et al., 2012). It has been reported that livestock production and its by-products are responsible for at least 51 percent of global warming gases (Goodland & Anhang, 2009). Gas emissions from the livestock sector are estimated at between 4.1 and 7.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year, equating to 15-24% of total global anthropogenic green house gas emissions (Wanapat et al., 2013). ...
Article
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Ruminant livestock are important sources of animal protein and calories, also are sources of global greenhouse emissions. There is increasing interest in evaluating the potential of natural antimicrobials such as plant extracts to modify rumen microbial fermentation due to reduction on the use of antibiotics in animal feeds and with ban on antibiotics in the Europe. These compounds are known to have an impact on rumen microbial metabolism by inducing changes in the fermentation conditions and also affecting ruminant productivity. The methods to effectively reduce methane production in the reticulo-rumen include processing of feeds, altering the diet, supplementation of unsaturated fatty acids, defaunation, supplementation of organic acids, halogenated compounds, ionophores, microbial feed additives (probiotics), plant extracts and their secondary metabolites. All these strategies to be validated in vivo studies in specific dose(s) to make it economically viable. This review aimed to reveal the impact of these natural plants extracts on rumen microorganisms. Plants normally contain a high to medium content of secondary compounds such as essential oil, saponins, organosulphur and tannins, which exert a specific effect against or favour rumen microorganism and reduce methane, leaving less or no distortion on the remaining rumen biomass. Their actions include direct action on microbial metabolism and deprivation of substrates for microbial growth. These plant extracts require more long term studies in vivo to determine their effectiveness in commercial systems. For sustainability, the feed additive would need to be effective over long periods of time, non-toxic for animals, the environment, the consumers and maybe standard use in animal feeds
... Konsensus naukowy wyrażony w specjalnym raporcie IPCC z 2019 roku Climate Change and Land mówi o tym, że przemysłowa hodowla zwierząt odpowiada za 23% emisji gazów cieplarnianych (IPCC, 2019). Przekonanie Kopyta, że globalne ocieplenie i wymieranie gatunków są ufundowane na przemysłowej hodowli zwierząt aż "w połowie", może pochodzić z raportu Worldwatch Institute Livestock and Climate Change, którego autorzy emisję gazów z przemysłowej hodowli szacują na "co najmniej" 51% wszystkich emisji(Goodland, Anhang, 2009). Wyliczenie to staje się o wiele bardziej wiarygodne, gdy uwzględnimy rozmaite pośrednie emisje z hodowli, związane na przykład z transportem zwierząt albo wycinką lasów deszczowych pod uprawy soi. ...
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Autor artykułu podejmuje próbę wpisania Wersów o koniecznym oporze Szczepana Kopyta w teoretyczne ramy kapitałocenu. Punktem wyjścia czyni rekonstrukcję kondycji krytyki w antropocenie. Przeciwstawia się wyrażanym przez niektórych przedstawicieli i niektóre przedstawicielki dyskursu antropocenu przekonaniom o nieskuteczności krytyki wobec planetarnych wyzwań tej epoki. Dowodzi, że krytyka wciąż jest nam potrzebna, co podkreśla także alternatywna wobec antropocenu koncepcja kapitałocenu. Następnie autor przechodzi do dialogu z twórczością Kopyta. Korzystając zarówno z ustaleń teorii krytycznej, jak i z koncepcji (nowo)materialistycznych, wskazuje na uwikłanie Kopyta w obie te tradycje. Dowodzi, że poecie udaje się uniknąć wiązanego z krytyką „mówienia znikąd”. Kopyt mówi „ze świata”, jako jego uczestnik. Perspektywa ta, rekonstruowana w artykule na podstawie Wersów o koniecznym oporze, pozwala poecie zdiagnozować anachroniczność niektórych marksistowskich praktyk heterodoksyjnych (autonomizm), a także odnotować i twórczo rozwinąć pozytywne i negatywne splątania aktorów ludzkich i pozaludzkich w epoce kapitałocenu.
... Emissions because of usage of manure and fossil fuels with animal production also release nitrous oxide that more effective 300 times than methane at capturing greenhouse gas. The change of land use from forests to grazing lands the emissions from the livestock will include Carbone dioxide (Steinfeld et al., 2006;Goodland and Anhang, 2009). Environmental Protection Agency (2013) preferred using more tied definition of livestock emissions that only involve feedbased emissions and exclude any external factors organic matter in soil holds three times as much carbon as present in the atmosphere (Asner et al., 2004). ...
... Among the options proposed by the World Watch Institute to make the transition towards a more sustainable diet less difficult, meat analogues play a crucial role [5]. If consumers accept these new products as an alternative, recognizing their meat-like properties, meat analogues may become a powerful strategy for reducing meat consumption. ...
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Nowadays, a growing offering of plant-based meat alternatives is available in the food market. Technologically, these products are produced through high-moisture shear technology. Process settings and material composition have a significant impact on the physicochemical characteristics of the final products. Throughout the process, the unfolded protein chains may be reduced, or associate in larger structures, creating rearrangement and cross-linking during the cooling stage. Generally, soy and pea proteins are the most used ingredients in plant-based meat analogues. Nevertheless, these proteins have shown poorer results with respect to the typical fibrousness and juiciness found in real meat. To address this limitation, wheat gluten is often incorporated into the formulations. This literature review highlights the key role of wheat gluten in creating products with higher anisotropy. The generation of new disulfide bonds after the addition of wheat gluten is critical to achieve the sought-after fibrous texture, whereas its incompatibility with the other protein phase present in the system is critical for the structuring process. However, allergenicity problems related to wheat gluten require alternatives, hence an evaluation of underutilized plant-based proteins has been carried out to identify those that potentially can imitate wheat gluten behavior during high-moisture shear processing.
... In 2006, the FAO estimated that the processes involved in animal farming generate a GHG production equivalent to 18 per cent of all global emissions from human activities, more than the entire transport sector (Steinfeld et al., 2006). Subsequently, in 2009, the Worldwatch Institute published a critical analysis of the FAO's report, with a modified methodology that considered all emissions produced by farms and all activities related to them, concluding that total GHG emissions attributable to the livestock sector account for 51 per cent or more of total anthropic emissions, much higher than the FAO estimate of 18 per cent (Goodland and Anhang, 2009). However, later the FAO in its 2013 report (considered the most comprehensive global estimate of the effects of intensive livestock) estimated total GHG emissions from livestock supply chains as 14.5 per cent of all human-induced emissions, or 8.1 gigatonnes of CO 2 -eq per annum for the 2010 reference period (FAO, 2013). ...
... In 2006, the FAO estimated that the processes involved in animal farming generate a GHG production equivalent to 18 per cent of all global emissions from human activities, more than the entire transport sector (Steinfeld et al., 2006). Subsequently, in 2009, the Worldwatch Institute published a critical analysis of the FAO's report, with a modified methodology that considered all emissions produced by farms and all activities related to them, concluding that total GHG emissions attributable to the livestock sector account for 51 per cent or more of total anthropic emissions, much higher than the FAO estimate of 18 per cent (Goodland and Anhang, 2009). However, later the FAO in its 2013 report (considered the most comprehensive global estimate of the effects of intensive livestock) estimated total GHG emissions from livestock supply chains as 14.5 per cent of all human-induced emissions, or 8.1 gigatonnes of CO 2 -eq per annum for the 2010 reference period (FAO, 2013). ...
... Agriculture is one sector that is most at risk to the impact of climate extremes, from the increased occurrence of pest infestations resulting from warming to flooding that wash away fertile soils. Moreover, the consequences of climate extremes, as evidenced by the cattle loss [32] , low crop production [37,53] and increased disease outbreaks and pests infestations [76] cannot be overemphasized. ...
Article
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Climate extreme events affect people whose livelihoods are reliant on the water resources of the Volta Basin in West Africa. Therefore, decision-makers and policymakers need reliable predictions of these extremes on several time scales to develop an Early Warning System (EWS) to combat the devastating impact of extreme climatic events. In that vein, the study evaluated the performance of 41 models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) in simulating six (6) extreme precipitation events developed by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI), over the Volta Basin for the period 1985-2014. The spatial biases as well as the temporal variations of the indices were analyzed using the simple bias and the Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE) respectively. Subsequently, the best models (models with low biases and KGE close to 1) were used to analyze the trends. The modified Mann-Kendall test showed an increasing trend in the observed heavy and very heavy rainy days (R10 mm and R20 mm), very wet and extremely wet days (R95p and R99p) but decreasing trend in the consecutive wet and dry days (CWD and CDD). Generally, models had difficulty reproducing the temporal patterns, however, the MPI-ESM1-2-LR, reproduced well the observed CDD, R10 mm and R20 mm whereas, the IITM-ESM, TaiESM1 and the CMCC-CM2-SR5 reproduced CWDs, R95p and R99p respectively. The Ensemble mean of the models showed robust performance in reproducing the observed R95p and R99p. The future evolution of these extreme poses threats to agriculture, and flood occurrence over the basin.
... Pertanian berkontribusi terhadap emisi GRK sekitar 14% pada skala global dan 7% pada skala nasional (Ariani et al., 2015). Sektor pertanian tercatat menyumbang 10-12% dari total gas rumah kaca antropogenik (akibat pengaruh aktivitas manusia), yang terdiri gas N2O dan CH4, Sedangkan sektor peternakan menyumbang sekitar 18%-51% gas rumah kaca antropogenik, yang sebagian besar terdiri dari gas CH4 (Goodland et al., 2009;Schils et al., 2007). Berdasarkan laporan Direktorat Jendral Perubahan Iklim Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup, sektor pertanian memberikan kontribusi terhadap emisi gas rumah kaca sebesar 96,305 Gg CO2-eq atau 9,6 persen dari total emisi gas rumah kaca nasional tahun 2000 (Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup, 2012). ...
Article
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The agricultural sector is one of the contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in Indonesia. The inventory of greenhouse gases in the agricultural sector is not only carried out on land management, but also in the livestock sub sector. Tuban Regency, East Java Province has great potential to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector considering that the area of agricultural land and livestock population in this area is very high. This study aims to carry out an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector and potential mitigation actions in the same sector. The results of the research are expected to provide input for the Tuban Regency Government in designing mitigation actions that are feasible to implement. The greenhouse gas emission inventory is calculated using Tier-1 IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) 2006 guidelines by multiplying activity data with emission factors according to IPCC standards. Activity data used for calculating GHG emission comes from secondary data. Meanwhile, the mitigation options obtained from interviews with representatives of farmer groups in Tuban Regency .The results show that the greenhouse gas emissions of the agricultural sector in Tuban Regency in 2019 is 1,665.67 Gg CO2-eq with details of the agricultural sub-sector of 1,092.50 Gg CO2-eq and the livestock sub-sector of 573.17 Gg CO2-eq. In the agricultural sub-sector, Plumpang Subdistrict occupies the top position as a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and Tuban Subdistrict is the lowest position. Meanwhile, in the livestock sub-sector, Kerek subdistrict occupies the top position in contributing to GHG emissions and the lowest is in Tuban subdistrict. Through the implementation of balanced fertilization mitigation options and the use of low-emission rice varieties, the GHG emission in Tuban Regency can be reduced by up to 156,43 Gg CO2-eq. Both options are selected by farmers because it is easier and cheaper without relying on others.
... As the foundation of people's livelihood, agriculture also emits a lot of greenhouse gases. According to data released by FAO in 2014, global greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture have almost doubled over the past fifty years and will increase by 30% by 2050 [2]. Therefore, agricultural carbon emissions are increasingly concerned by all sectors of society. ...
Article
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At present, China is in the stage of agricultural economic transformation and development. It is urgent to regard low-carbon agriculture as the main task of sustainable agricultural development. This paper takes Chengdu as an example to calculate the total carbon emissions and emission intensity of agricultural carbon in the past 2007-2018 years through the carbon emission coefficient method, and to analyze and evaluate the agricultural carbon emission structure and agricultural carbon emission level. Finally, it is concluded that the present situation of agricultural carbon emissions in Chengdu and its dynamic changes in the past ten years will help further clarify the types of agricultural carbon emissions in Chengdu. At the same time, it can also provide theoretical support for the action of energy conservation and emission reduction and the construction of ecological civilization in Chengdu.
... Conventional livestock production has been calculated by the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization to be a significant contributor to human impact on the environment, comprising an estimated 15-18% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [1,2]. For comparison, this is higher than the 14% attributed to GHG emissions from global transportation, although the actual value of livestock GHGs is disputed [3][4][5]. Currently, animal farming uses at least one-third of arable land and fresh water [1,6,7]. Conventional animal agriculture also generates wastes such as manure, which contributes to groundwater and local ecosystem contamination as well as eutrophication [1,[8][9][10][11]. ...
Article
With rising global demand for food proteins and significant environmental impact associated with conventional animal agriculture, it is important to develop sustainable alternatives to supplement existing meat production. Since fat is an important contributor to meat flavor, recapitulating this component in meat alternatives such as plant based and cell cultured meats is important. Here, we discuss the topic of cell cultured or tissue engineered fat, growing adipocytes in vitro that could imbue meat alternatives with the complex flavor and aromas of animal meat. We outline potential paths for the large scale production of in vitro cultured fat, including adipogenic precursors during cell proliferation, methods to adipogenically differentiate cells at scale, as well as strategies for converting differentiated adipocytes into 3D cultured fat tissues. We showcase the maturation of knowledge and technology behind cell sourcing and scaled proliferation, while also highlighting that adipogenic differentiation and 3D adipose tissue formation at scale need further research. We also provide some potential solutions for achieving adipose cell differentiation and tissue formation at scale based on contemporary research and the state of the field.
... Following this diet has many proven health benefits including lowered blood pressure and reduced risk of heart disease (Craig, 2009). Furthermore, the vegan diet is argued to have environmental benefits, generated through a weakening of the demand for livestock-the farming of which is considered a significant contributor to climate change (Steinfeld et al., 2006;Goodland and Anhang, 2009). For most vegans, animal rights are the main motivation for following a vegan diet (Greenebaum, 2012a) and so their lifestyle is based upon non-contribution to forms of animal exploitation. ...
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As one of the fastest growing lifestyle choices, veganism is a diet, lifestyle and social movement motivated by animal rights, environmental protection and human health. Veganism is considered socially deviant from the hegemonic meat culture of the UK and so vegans often receive stigma when expressing this element of their identity. This study aimed to critically examine how vegans manage stigma dependent on the social and spatial context. Semi-structured interviews with 20 vegans in northwest England revealed that vegans employ four main strategies to manage stigma: acceptance, avoidance, reduction and denial. The chosen management technique was determined by a stigmatised individual's acceptance or rejection of public understandings of the stigma and the applicability of the stigma to the self. Social and spatial context were often emphasised by participants, with many vegans communicating a need to adapt their management techniques in accordance with the situation-often employing elements of different strategies simultaneously. The study thus highlights the idea of stigma as a social construct that is shifting and wide-ranging.
... The range of estimates made after 2006 is large, with Goodland and Anhang (2009) calculating a contribution as high as 51%, and the FAO recalculating their own estimate at 14.5% , this latter number likely being the most often currently quoted. The Meat Atlas (Heinrich Böll Foundation, 2014:34) refers to a range from 6 to 32%, where the correct proportion depends on whether only direct (6%) or total (32%), so also indirect emissions, are considered. ...
Book
Social practice theories help challenge the often hidden paradigms, worldviews and values at the basis of many unsustainable practices. However, practice theoretical research can also struggle to provide useful results for policymaking. Connected to social practices, discourses and their boundaries define what is seen as possible, what the range of issues and their solutions are. By exploring the connections between practices and discourses - where paradigms, worldviews and values are represented through cognitive frames – this book develops, firstly, a conceptual approach to help enable purposive change in unsustainable social practices. This is done in an interdisciplinary manner integrating different literatures. Secondly, the book takes the current vastly unsustainable meat system as a central theme. Radical transformation towards new meatways, such as strong flexitarianism, is arguably necessary, yet complex psychological, ideological and power related mechanisms still inhibit change. Discourses around new solutions, such as cultivated meat, new generation plant-based meats, and insects, are explored for answers.
... The range of estimates made after 2006 is large, with Goodland and Anhang (2009) calculating a contribution as high as 51%, and the FAO recalculating their own estimate at 14.5% , this latter number likely being the most often currently quoted. The Meat Atlas (Heinrich Böll Foundation, 2014:34) refers to a range from 6 to 32%, where the correct proportion depends on whether only direct (6%) or total (32%), so also indirect emissions, are considered. ...
Book
Social practice theories help to challenge the often hidden paradigms, worldviews, and values at the basis of many unsustainable practices. Discourses and their boundaries define what is seen as possible, as well as the range of issues and their solutions. By exploring the connections between practices and discourses, Minna Kanerva develops a conceptual approach enabling purposive change in unsustainable social practices. Radical transformation towards new meatways is arguably necessary, yet complex psychological, ideological, and power-related mechanisms currently inhibit change.
... The range of estimates made after 2006 is large, with Goodland and Anhang (2009) calculating a contribution as high as 51%, and the FAO recalculating their own estimate at 14.5% , this latter number likely being the most often currently quoted. The Meat Atlas (Heinrich Böll Foundation, 2014:34) refers to a range from 6 to 32%, where the correct proportion depends on whether only direct (6%) or total (32%), so also indirect emissions, are considered. ...
... După cum se știe, pajiștile sunt tot mai puține, astfel încât singurul mod în care se pot spori efectivele de animale este prin distrugerea pădurilor. În consecință, cum cererea de carne este mare în țările în curs de dezvoltare (Goodland & Anhang, 2009) asistăm și la reducerea suprafeței împădurite în aceste zone. Există și alte aspecte care trebuie luate în considerare, atunci când este vorba de consumul de carne. ...
... It is believed that our animal protein consumption is not sustainable (Alexandratos & Bruinsma, 2012;Campbell et al., 2017;Goodland & Anhang, 2009); thus, research into alternative sources of protein is paramount. We must consider whether individuals would be willing to replace traditional animal food sources with alternative sources of protein, and how this can be achieved. ...
Article
Disgust, social influence, and moral concern seem to play a pivotal role in insect consumption. Research examining these factors, particularly in the UK, is currently lacking. As a result, two studies were conducted to examine the perceived barriers and benefits of insect consumption, and how disgust can be counteracted. First, a cross-sectional study (N = 600) showed that disgust and moral concerns were unique predictors of individual’s willingness to consume insect products. Second, we conducted an experiment (N = 519) to examine whether knowledge that someone else consumes an insect-based product impacts one’s own willingness to consume insects. In this study we replicated Hartmann, Ruby, Schmidt, and Siegrist (2018) methodology of giving information about an insect consumer but added details about the individuals’ occupation and what type of product they consumed, examining how these factors impacted individual’s willingness to consume insect-based products. We found that this information did not impact willingness to consume; however, it did influence feelings of disgust and perceived acceptability. This study also replicated the first study by demonstrating that disgust and moral concern are barriers to insect consumption. We hope the current findings trigger future research to examine how disgust can be counteracted, and to better understand the role of moral concern in insect consumption.
... The most important greenhouse gases (GHG) are carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O). [1][2][3] Livestock is attributed to between 14.5% [4] to 50% [5] of global GHG emissions; although FAO has given figures of 18% [6] and it is accepted that the 49% of those total emissions are on-farm emissions, being the 39% caused by enteric fermentation and the 10% by manure management. [4] GHG emissions from the same sector (e.g., pig meat production) differ between countries due to differences in yields, handling and use of inputs, as well as variations in the calculation and analysis methodology, although the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the most followed methodology and allows comparisons. ...
Article
The global emission and accumulation of gases due to livestock farming is estimated to contribute to about 14.5% of the global warming effect due to greenhouse gases (GHG). Pig farming represents 9% of global livestock GHG emissions, without considering other activities of pork production process, such as feed production. Most of information about pig farms GHG emissions is based on theoretical calculations with not too much accuracy. Hence, there is a critical need to study the best sampling and analytical techniques (portable or not) that can be used to map their contribution to GHG emissions. The selection of the best analytical detection method becomes important for public policies on climate change, and in order to evaluate animal and manure handling practices to reduce GHG and to combat global warming. In this article, different techniques, which could be used to measure the emissions of GHG from livestock, are reviewed, showing the advantages and disadvantages of each technique, with special emphasis on those already used in studies about GHG from pig farms and those that allow the simultaneous determination of several species of gases. Open chambers equipped with photoacoustic multi-gas monitor have been the techniques most employed in intensive pig farms studies. Gas Chromatography coupled to different detectors has been only widely used in pig farms to monitor simultaneously several GHG species using previous sampling devices. However, there are no studies in the literature based on extensive pig farms. In these systems, micrometeorological techniques could be a promising strategy.
... Hence, [43] have concluded climate change has affected the availability of water and feed which are the main causes of deaths of livestock in the country. According to [53,71] climate change is expected to result in declining in livestock productivity. The future projection indicated that livestock productivity will be lower by 50% in the 2050s compared to without climate change scenario. ...
... A simple switch to vegetarian/vegan diets would reduce the food-related water footprint by 36% or more (Gerbens-Leenes et al., 2013). With regard to energy, it is worth mentioning a study showing that if grazing and feed production land were used for planting crops to be converted directly into food for humans and for biofuel production, such fuels could replace about half of the coal used worldwide, avoiding the emission of 3,340 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually (Goodland and Anhang, 2009). Regarding moral imperatives we should also contemplate the fact that "most of the new diseases that have emerged in humans over recent decades (roughly 70%) are of animal origin and are related to the human quest for more animal-source food. ...
... An additional advantage of the GWP construct is that it facilitates the running together, in a seemingly self-evident way, activities with different effects on climate history. Thus ex-World Bank executive Robert Goodland (2010), noting that "domesticated animals cause 32 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, more than the combined impact of industry and energy", can effortlessly draw the politically-convenient conclusion that "replacing livestock products with better alternatives would ... have far more rapid effects on greenhouse gas emissions ... than actions to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy". ...
Chapter
This chapter highlights the cutting-edge field of cellular agriculture, emphasizing the creation, principles, and applications of lab-grown food. The lab-grown plate refers to a concept representing food that is produced through cellular agriculture techniques in a laboratory setting. It covers the idea of creating food products, such as meat, dairy, and other animal products, through cell culture techniques, without the need for conventional animal husbandry. Instead, cells are cultured and grown in controlled settings to produce edible tissue, which is subsequently processed into a variety of food products. However, there are still challenges to overcome in scaling up cellular agriculture to commercial levels, including technological hurdles, regulatory considerations, and consumer acceptance. Nevertheless, continued research and investment in this field hold promise for transforming the way animal products are produced and consumed in the future.
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Climate change and heat stress pose significant challenges to livestock. Local breeds, particularly small ruminants, are gaining importance due to their adaptability to harsh climates. However, the extensive system they are commonly reared in leaves them exposed to the effects of climate change. This study aims to describe the distribution and climate-related challenges faced by registered Italian sheep and goat breeds over the past seven decades. Geolocalized data from all registered small ruminant farms were combined with climatic information retrieved from the "ERA-5-Land hourly data from 1950 to present" dataset. These data were used to calculate average daily temperature, temperature humidity index (THI), and total precipitation during summer. Additionally, THI-based heat waves (HWs) were examined, including the yearly number of HW days and mean THI during HW days. These data were analysed through linear regression models including region or breed, year, and their interaction as fixed factors. The climate data indicate a concerning trend of rising summer temperatures, THI, and HW frequency and intensity, particularly over the past three decades. Central-northern Italy, including the Po Valley and the Alpine Arch, is the most affected region, impacting breeds like Rosset and Brogne sheep, and Lariana and Frisa Valtellinese goats. This is of particular concern because these populations have not been selected for hot climates, and their already small population size exacerbates the problem. Conversely, southern Italy, characterized by hotter and drier temperatures, remained relatively stable. Breeds from this region, such as Girgentana and Nicastrese goats and Nera di Arbus sheep, might represent excellent case studies for climatic adaptation and potential resources for selection for resilience in the face of ongoing climate changes. The findings presented here are essential for
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Alternative food systems (namely the humane product movement) have arisen to address societal concerns with the treatment of Nonhuman Animals in food production. This paper presents an abolitionist Nonhuman Animal rights approach (Francione, 1996) and critiques these alternative systems as problematic in regards to goals of considering the rights or welfare of Nonhuman Animals. It is proposed that the trend in social movement professionalization within the structure of a non-profit industrial complex will ultimately favor compromises like “humane” products over more radical abolitionist solutions to the detriment of Nonhuman Animals. This paper also discusses potential compromises for alternative food systems that acknowledge equal consideration for Nonhuman Animals, focusing on grassroots veganism as a necessary component for consistency and effectiveness.
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Discussions about the proper relationship between humans and animals can easily degenerate into what the Universal House of Justice calls “the all too common tendencies . . . to delineate sharp dichotomies . . . and engage in intractable debate that obstructs the search for viable solutions” (29 November 2017). This paper first uses an exegetical approach to discern a Bahá’í framework governing the treatment of animals, and our relationship to the natural world more broadly. Next, a self-reflexive examination of the author’s own relationship with animals is used to demonstrate how such a framework can directly inform the individual’s way of being in the world, in a manner that is both faithful to the Bahá’í teachings on the subject, and responsive to differences in individuals’ circumstances. Finally, it suggests that by presenting an internally coherent position in which an ethics of kindness and justice flows from underlying ontological principles, this framework hold promise for transcending the dichotomy between domination-themed narratives that assign purely instrumental value to the natural world, and materialistic narratives that deny any unique status to the human being. This paper had its origins in a presentation offered at the 2020 Annual Conference of the Association for Bahá’í Studies, but expands considerably on the arguments in that talk, both in terms of breadth and depth. My thanks to Roshan Danesh, Nilufar Gordon, Mahtab Sabet, and two anonymous reviewers, for their generous feedback and encouragement.
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As the biggest environmental issue of the twenty-first century, climate change has drawn a lot of attention and discussion. It is anticipated to have detrimental, long-lasting effects on the planet and its environment. Although it is challenging to link specific weather occurrences to global warming, higher temperatures are expected to result in more significant impacts, such as glacial retreat, arctic shrinkage, and global sea level rise. Many aquatic species have experienced major extinctions, which have been linked to climate change. such as mammals, fish, corals, and plants. A growing threat to public health around the world, climate change is expected to have an impact on people's health in a variety of ways, including heat stress (stroke), air pollution, food scarcity, the spread of infectious diseases, and the frequency and severity of disease outbreaks. Accordingly, Global Climate Change has been a significant issue that has sparked concern throughout the world, The current study focuses on various facets of "global climate change, including its causes, anticipated effects, likely mitigation measures, and the necessity for raising awareness of the problem worldwide.
Conference Paper
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The importance of animal husbandry reaches all aspects (social, economic and environmental) of sustainable development in rural areas. People produce for sale, but also for consumption. At the same time, considering the location of this economic activity and the practice of farm technology, it is necessary to observe certain norms in order to ensure good environmental conditions. Of course, the future points to the mistakes of the past. Today, modern animal technology is coordinated through IT programs, which anticipate not only the production but also the risks. Specialized literature indicates the environmental risks arising from cattle breeding at planetary level: accumulation of methane as a specificity of digestion, but also through accumulated manure. In this sense, however, the bibliographic studies and the statistical analyses are in favour of maintaining the herds of cattle, on condition there is genetic improvement in the nutritional aspect, as well as judicious waste management. These considerations are appreciated by Romanian farmers in the economic activity of cattle breeding, promoting measures to reduce greenhouse gases in this field.
Article
Endemic sheep and cattle diseases represent a constant strain and impact to animal health and welfare, the environment, public health, and the economy. Quantifying this economic impact helps to inform decisions on surveillance and control of livestock diseases. This systematic literature review had two objectives; to describe the economic impact of endemic sheep and cattle diseases in the United Kingdom using a broad conceptualisation of impact, and to investigate what variables (e.g. medication costs, loss of production) and methods are included in these calculations. The Prisma protocol for systematic literature reviews was followed. Searches were performed in Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science using selected and trialled search terms. A total of 1,129 papers were identified and screened for relevancy; 38 papers were selected for full review extracting and analysing data on disease, impact and methods. From this final selection of papers it was found that; 1) research in this area is mainly focused on the dairy sub-sector, 2) the most mentioned diseases were mastitis and lameness in dairy cattle; bovine viral diarrhoea in beef cattle; and ectoparasites in sheep with reported animal-level costs of £77-£548/cow/year, £26-£185/cow/year and £40-£47/ewe/year, respectively, 3) numerous methods and variables were used to calculate or estimate the economic impact with most studies focussing on the direct producer impacts and less on the wider implications and affected stakeholders; and 4) it was common for studies to look at one disease in isolation rather than consider disease impact on the farm as a whole. It is recommended that future economic impact calculations on livestock disease include wider implications to estimate the true cost of disease. To generate the necessary data, a wider, more inclusive conceptualisation of impact will be needed to support the collection of data and facilitate communication between stakeholders. Systematic health data recording combined with assessment calculations and metrics that allow comparability within or across livestock sub-sectors will increase the informative value of these impact calculations.
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A further intensification of industrial agriculture alone cannot be a viable solution to sustainably feed a steadily growing world population in the future. Besides technical innovations, individual eating habits must become more sustainable. The production of insects and in vitro meat offers several advantages over the production of conventional meat, such as lower CO2 emissions and land use as well as reduced water consumption. Due to the great sustainability potential, interest in both meat alternatives has not only increased significantly in the media and science in recent years, but also large companies in the food industry, such as Nestlé and Wiesenhof, have already recognized their economic potential. Whether the two meat alternatives will prevail in Germany in the future depends—apart from technical and legal factors—strongly on the acceptance of potential consumers. It has already been shown that disgust and fear of novel foods have a negative influence on the acceptance of insects and in vitro meat as food. In addition, it has already been investigated to what extent other nutritional and environmental psychological factors, such as attitudes towards edible insects and in vitro meat, sensation seeking or sustainability consciousness, might have an influence on the acceptance of both meat alternatives. In addition to an overview of selected sustainability and health indicators of both meat alternatives, the book chapter primarily focuses on the above-mentioned environmental and nutritional- psychological factors influencing the acceptance of edible insects and in vitro meat in Germany.
Article
What can you do to improve your health and at the same time improve the health of our home planet? Do you want to be a healthier and more sustainable consumer? In this straightforward, easy-to-understand and entertaining book, dietitian and environmentalist Dr. Dana Ellis Hunnes outlines the actions we can all take. Many people feel overwhelmed by the scope of climate change and believe that only large, sweeping changes will make any difference. Yet the choices we make every day can have effects on climate change, the oceans, the land, and other species. This book outlines the problems we are facing, and then presents ideas or 'recipes' to empower us, to help us all make a difference. Recipe For Survival provides the guidance that you can use right now to improve your health, your family's health, and the health of the environment simultaneously.
Article
Sustainability discussions bring in multiple competing goals, and the outcomes are often conflicting depending upon which goal is being given credence. The role of livestock in supporting human well-being is especially contentious in discourses around sustainable diets. There is considerable variation in which environmental metrics are measured when describing sustainable diets, although some estimate of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of different diets based on varying assumptions is commonplace. A market for animal-free and manufactured food items to substitute for animal source food (ASF) has emerged, driven by the high GHG emissions of ASF. Ingredients sourced from plants, and animal cells grown in culture are two approaches employed to produce alternative meats. These can be complemented with ingredients produced using synthetic biology. Alternative meat companies promise to reduce GHG, the land and water used for food production, and reduce or eliminate animal agriculture. Some CEOs have even claimed alternative meats will 'end world hunger'. Rarely do such self-proclamations emanate from scientists, but rather from companies in their efforts to attract venture capital investment and market share. Such declarations are reminiscent of the early days of the biotechnology industry. At that time, special interest groups employed fear-based tactics to effectively turn public opinion against the use of genetic engineering to introduce sustainability traits, like disease resistance and nutrient fortification, into global genetic improvement programs. These same groups have recently turned their sights on the 'unnaturalness' and use of synthetic biology in the production of meat alternatives, leaving agriculturists in a quandary. Much of the rationale behind alternative meats invokes a simplistic narrative, with a primary focus on GHG emissions, ignoring the nutritional attributes and dietary importance of ASF, and livelihoods that are supported by grazing ruminant production systems. Diets with low GHG emissions are often described as sustainable, even though the nutritional, social and economic pillars of sustainability are not considered. Nutritionists, geneticists, and veterinarians have been extremely successful at developing new technologies to reduce the environmental footprint of ASF. Further technological developments are going to be requisite to continuously improve the efficiency of animal source, plant source, and cultured meat production. Perhaps there is an opportunity to collectively communicate how innovations are enabling both alternative- and conventional-meat producers to more sustainably meet future demand. This could counteract the possibility that special interest groups who promulgate misinformation, fear and uncertainty, will hinder the adoption of technological innovations to the ultimate detriment of global food security.
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This chapter summarizes the global problems associated with livestock production and meat consumption and shows solution strategies through replacing animal products with plant-based alternatives. The positive effects of plant-based alternatives on human health and the environment are reviewed together with approaches for reducing world hunger. Psychological strategies for nutritional transitions towards more sustainable consumption patterns and criteria for market success of meat alternatives are presented. This is followed by an overview of meat alternatives – from soy1, lupine or wheat based, to bleeding burgers and artificial intelligence concepts. Marketing strategies and best practice policy suggestions complete the chapter.
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This chapter describes how among vegetarian, vegan and animal advocates, it has been a common practice for many decades to cede the terms “meat” to livestock producers, and to ask people to sacrifice meat. Yet during those decades, global consumption of livestock products has exploded. People have often overlooked the fact that “meat” has been defined for centuries as an essential food that includes vegan versions, and plant-based meat has always been framed as equivalent or superior to animal-based meat. In fact, replacing animal-based foods with better alternatives is said to be the only pragmatic way to stop climate change quickly as needed. However, it is unlikely to happen through efforts to reduce meat consumption. It is much more likely to happen through efforts to disrupt meat production and consumption by making and marketing meat and other foods directly from plants.
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The documentary Cowspiracy has been remarkably successful in making viewers uncomfortable about the relationship between the consumption of animal products and climate change. This chapter combines a cognitive analysis of Cowspiracy’s rhetorical strategies with the experiences the author had in teaching the film to a group of Austrian students in a seminar on Climate Change Cinema. Many students felt for the first time that their personal choices mattered in fighting climate change, but they were also overwhelmed by the prospect that this moral choice would involve changing their eating habits. The chapter discusses the potential of such emotional responses in light of scholarship on the “rhetorical form” of documentary film, as well as relevant literature on vegan advocacy, climate change communication, and climate veganism.
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L'adaptació dels Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible a la UPF disposen d'una nova eina mitjançant les vuit fitxes docents (una per cada àmbit de coneixement) per treballar la Sostenibilitat Social, Econòmica i Mediambiental. Comunicació: PRÀCTIQUES SOBRE ANÀLISI I COMUNICACIÓ DEL CANVI CLIMÀTIC ANTROPOGÈNIC I ÈTICA AMBIENTAL I ANIMAL DE LA COMUNICACIÓ: EL CAS DE L’AGRICULTURA ANIMAL I L’AQÜICULTURA https://www.upf.edu/web/responsabilitat-social/inici/-/asset_publisher/mAs6O2qBeduK/content/id/239268321/maximized#.X79zIC8ryqD
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Background The livestock industry has numerous impacts on the environment. The aim of this study is to examine the level of knowledge, awareness and behavior on topics related to environmental pollution caused by industrial animal food production and to determine whether there is a relationship among them. Methods Cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire. 361 students were asked about their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to the environmental impact caused by livestock industry. The data were analyzed using correlations, t-tests for independent samples, and linear regression models. Results Students have almost no knowledge about the environmental impact of livestock industry, their attitudes are moderately pro-environmental, yet they are not strict about them. Students with higher levels of environmental knowledge demonstrated more pro-environmental attitudes and behavior (r = 0.33, p < 0.001; r = 0.36, p < 0.001 respectively); attitudes mediate the relationship between level of knowledge and behavior with respect to environmental pollution caused by the livestock industry (Adj. R2 =0.28, p < 0.001). Significant differences were found between participants who rear animals and participants who don't, in the level of knowledge (t = 3.78, p < 0.001), attitudes (t = 3.04, p < 0.01), and behavior (t = 2.33, p < 0.05). Conclusions These findings are in line with other studies, which showed that some consumers are concerned about production of animal foods but their knowledge on this topic is very limited, and most continue to consume animal products without any intention of reducing consumption. There is a need to raise awareness of the environmental and health impacts caused by livestock industry. An introductory course on environmental science should be integrated into different academic study programs. Further research should be conducted among additional population sectors. Key messages Students have almost no knowledge about the environmental impacts of the food they consume. There is a need to develop campaigns to raise awareness of environmental impacts of food.
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