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Fight Global Warming by Going Vegetarian
2008-02-01
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http://acmly.blogbus.com/logs/14798094.html
This feed lot in in California can accommodate up to 100,000 head of cattle.
朋友 sunyutin翻译了一篇文章，我个人对严格的素食还持保留态度，不过少吃点肉不论对世界还是对自己都是有好处的：
全球变暖已经被称为人类的最大挑战和世界之危机。科学界称，毫无疑问全球变暖是事实,而人类要为此受责。人类的活动排出大量的温室气体,这阻止了热量从大气中散发出去,科学家称此现象将不断导致悲惨的自然灾害,诸如更多的频繁度更高和程度更严重的干旱、洪水、飓风,海平面的抬高，更多疾病爆发，科学家们更警告说全球变暖会威胁数百万人和其他无数生物的生命。许多意识到这点的人正通过驾驶更节省油料的车以及使用节能灯泡来试图改变这一趋势。然而比之于这种种措施，科学告诉我们，素食也许是对抗全球变暖最有效的方式。
在groundbreaking 2006年的报告中，联合国称饲养供食用的动物所产生的温室气体超过全球所有卡车和轿车所产生的气体之总和。联合国粮农组织高级官员Henning Steinfeld称，肉类工业是“每天最严重的环境问题的最重要的元凶之一”，导致全球变暖的最主要祸首是二氧化碳、甲烷和一氧化二氮，而对供人食用动物的饲养是二氧化碳最主要的来源，也制造了最多的甲烷和一氧化二氮。
二氧化碳：化石燃料的燃烧（如石油和汽油）释放了二氧化碳——对全球变暖负第一罪责的气体。每生产一卡路里的动物蛋白质需要输入超过10倍的化石燃料——这又要释放出超过汽车排放量10倍的二氧化碳——这也超过了生产一卡路里植物蛋白质之所需。给饲养的牲畜喂食谷物、水，以及宰杀、处理、运输、储存它们的肉都是极其消耗能源的。此外，在毁灭大量森林来为饲养的牲畜提供牧场和种植作物的过程中，无数储存于植物体内的二氧化碳被释放出来，再者，动物肥料也释放大量二氧化碳。你可以把你的常备车换成杂牌的丰田Prius车，由此每年减少1吨的二氧化碳排放量。但根据芝加哥大学的研究，素食对于抗拒全球变暖更为有效，与肉食者比较，一个严格的素食者每年可以减少大约1.5吨以下的二氧化碳排放量。其中的数学原理很简单：你可以花超过20000美元买一辆丰田的Prius车，但仍旧排放出比你仅仅在不吃肉和其他动物产品情况下多50%的二氧化碳。
沼气：每年被送入美国工厂、农田的数十亿只小鸡、猪、牛产生了数量惊人的沼气，既在它们消化的过程中，也在充斥着它们排泄物的污秽场所中。科学家称，每磅沼气在捕获大气层热量过程中的效力是二氧化碳的20倍。环保机构显示：在美国，“动物农业”是排放沼气的最大元凶。
一氧化二氮：一氧化二氮在全球变暖中所起的作用是二氧化碳的约300倍，肉、蛋、牛奶产业排放的一氧化二氮占全球的65%。原文：
Global warming has been called humankind’s “greatest challenge” and the world’s most grave environmental threat.1 The scientific community says that there is no doubt that global warming is real and that humans are largely to blame. Human activities are emitting vast amounts of “greenhouse gases” that prevent heat from escaping from the Earth’s atmosphere. Scientists report that this phenomenon will increasingly lead to catastrophic natural disasters, such as more frequent and intense droughts, floods, and hurricanes; rising sea levels; and more disease outbreaks. Scientists also warn that global warming threatens the lives of millions of humans and countless other animals. Many conscientious people are trying to help reduce global warming by driving more fuel-efficient cars and using energy-saving light bulbs. Although this helps, science shows that going vegetarian is perhaps the most effective way to fight global warming.
In a groundbreaking 2006 report, the United Nations (U.N.) said that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined. Senior U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization official Henning Steinfeld reported that the meat industry is “one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems.”2
Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide together cause the vast majority of global warming. Raising animals for food is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide and the single largest source of both methane and nitrous oxide emissions.
Carbon Dioxide: The burning of fossil fuels (such as oil and gasoline) releases carbon dioxide, the primary gas responsible for global warming. Producing one calorie of animal protein requires more than 10 times as much fossil fuel input—releasing more than 10 times as much carbon dioxide—than does a calorie of plant protein.3 Feeding massive amounts of grain and water to farmed animals and then killing them and processing, transporting, and storing their flesh is extremely energy-intensive. In addition, enormous amounts of carbon dioxide stored in trees are released during the destruction of vast acres of forest to provide pastureland and to grow crops for farmed animals. On top of this, animal manure also releases large quantities of carbon dioxide.
You could exchange your “regular” car for a hybrid Toyota Prius and, by doing so, prevent about 1 ton of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year, but according to the University of Chicago, being vegan is more effective in the fight against global warming; a vegan prevents approximately 1.5 fewer tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year than a meat-eater does.4 The math is simple: You could spend more than $20,000 on a Prius and still emit 50 percent more carbon dioxide than you would if you just gave up eating meat and other animal products.
Methane: The billions of chickens, turkeys, pigs, and cows who are crammed into factory farms each year in the U.S. produce enormous amounts of methane, both during digestion and from the acres of cesspools filled with feces that they excrete. Scientists report that every pound of methane is more than 20 times as effective as carbon dioxide is at trapping heat in our atmosphere.5 The Environmental Protection Agency shows that animal agriculture is the single largest source of methane emissions in the U.S.6
Nitrous Oxide: Nitrous oxide is about 300 times more potent as a global warming gas than carbon dioxide. According to the U.N., the meat, egg, and dairy industries account for a staggering 65 percent of worldwide nitrous oxide emissions.7
You Can Help Stop Global Warming!
The most powerful step that we can take as individuals to avert global warming is to stop eating meat, eggs, and dairy products.Take the 30-Day Veg Pledge today to start helping the environment every time you eat.
Read more about how you can help protect the environment.
1 Andrew Pierce, “Global Warming Is Mankind’s Greatest Challenge, Says Prince,” The Times
2 “Rearing Cattle Produces More Greenhouse Gases Than Driving Cars, UN Report Warns,” UN News Centre, 29 Nov. 2006.
3 David Pimentel and Marcia Pimentel, “Sustainability of Meat-Based and Plant-Based Diets and the Environment,” Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 78.3 (2003): 661S-662S.
4 NewScientist.com, “It’s Better to Green Your Diet Than Your Car,” 17 Dec. 2005.
5 “Global Warming: Methane,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 8 Mar. 2006.
6 “Sources and Emissions: Methane,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2 Jun. 2006.
7 H. Steinfeld, et al., “Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options,” Livestock, Environment and Development (2006). 28 Oct. 2005.原文链接：
Fight Global Warming by Going Vegetarian
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