Our growing demand for food is causing huge environmental changes. In order make enough food for the fast-growing population, trees and vegetation must continually be cleared. Brazil, the number one exporter in beef, is willing to clear thousands of trees in the Amazon to meet demands. "An estimated 60-70 per cent of the deforested land in Brazil is used for cattle ranching." Demands in meat not only means using money to clear trees, but also using a lot of money for fuel, exporting, and bringing cattle in. Clearing trees looks bad and removes much needed trees to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. "Carbon dioxide emissions in conjunction with deforestation are currently responsible for ten per cent of all emissions globally." Population is only expected to increase, meaning food production will need to continually increase. At some point soon we will hit a dead end if the world as a whole does not change its methods of creating, eating, and shipping food.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110304091504.htm
10% of the carbon budget from deforestation. Wow. Would stopping eating Brazillian meat help?
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