Opinion
www.ft.lk WEDNESDAY JUNE 15, 2011
Environmental vegetarianism I AM often puzzled by people who claim is not covered by ice is either directly or to be environmentally conscious, who go indirectly used in the production of livegreen in their efforts to help preserve the stock. In the Amazon, for example, almost planet’s natural resources, and yet at the 70% of the forests have been replaced by same time they eat meat, a major contribu- land that is primarily used as cattle pastor to the environmental problems we face tureland. Livestock production also leads to today. Not many people realise that the con- unsustainable water use. Livestock prosumption of meat contributes to the duction demands high water usage, often increase of our carbon footprint, espe- depleting local supplies. Inadequate waste management also cially when eating causes pollution that the meat of poultry impacts water quality. and cattle reared FT Quick Take Over-g razing has on f ar ms meant While the average vegetarian consumes between 135 resulted in the loss of s p e c i f i c a l l y f o r kg and 180 kg of grain per year, the average meatbiodiversity and prohuman consump- eater is responsible for the consumption of over 900 kg. Of course, 80% of that is first digested by cows, ductive capacity of tion. ecosystems, particuI won’t bore you pigs and chickens, but it’s needless to say which diet larly in arid areas. with statistics at affects the environment more A two-volume this stage, but will report titled present you with ‘Livestock in a some known facts Changing Landscape’ that will help you came to these key see how environfindings: mentally unsuss -ORE THAN BILtainable meat conlion animals are used sumption is. in livestock producIt is a fact that tion worldwide and we do not have an occupy more than unlimited amount one-fourth of the of land. It is a fact land. t h a t we d o n o t By Vijay Eswaran Earth’s s 0RODUCTION OF ANIh ave u n l i m i t e d mal feed consumes water. It is a fact that there is no unlimited supply of crops. about one-third of earth’s total arable And the most alarming fact of them all – land. s 4HE LIVESTOCK SECTOR INCLUDING FEED the world’s population is increasing and this increasing number of humans needs production and transport, is responsible a place to live, water to drink and food to for about 18 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide (the beef, pork and eat. The same land, labour, water and fuel poultry industries emit large amounts used to raise, slaughter, package and of CO2, methane and other greenhouse transport livestock is also needed to grow gases). s 4HE LIVESTOCK SECTOR IS A MAJOR ENVIRONand harvest feed grain. And this double use of resources leads to a seemingly mental polluter, with much of the world’s preposterous statistic: while the average pastureland degraded by grazing or feed vegetarian consumes between 135 kg and production, and with many forests cleared 180 kg of grain per year, the average meat- to make way for additional farmland. s &EED PRODUCTION REQUIRES INTENSIVE USE eater is responsible for the consumption of over 900 kg. Of course, 80% of that is of water, fertiliser, pesticides and fossil first digested by cows, pigs and chickens, fuels. s !NIMAL WASTE IS A SERIOUS CONCERN
but it’s needless to say which diet affects since only a third of the nutrients fed to the environment more. animals are actually absorbed and the rest Environmentally unsustainable pollute lands and waters. s 4OTAL PHOSPHOROUS EXCRETIONS OF LIVET h e U n i t e d N at i o n s Fo o d a n d Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates stock are estimated to be seven to nine that around 30% of land on earth that times greater than from humans.
The meat carbon footprint
The effect that meat production has on the environment is now believed to be even more damaging than the impact made on it by the transport industry. 0ERHAPS MOST NOTABLY ACCORDING TO A recent study by NASA, eating meat is essentially the third largest net contributor to climate change pollution in the world (behind using motor vehicles and bur ning household biofuels — mostly wood and animal dung). Additionally, in total, an FAO study from a few years ago found that livestock production was
responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution globally! GHG emissions are increasing as products move along the assembly line of production before they finally reach the dining table. Almost half of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is attributable to animals and the booming meat-consumerism industry. There are sources of GHG emissions that are usually unaccounted for in emission calculations. The accumulation of manure from livestock on a large scale, for instance, has resulted in methane gas
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emissions — another greenhouse gas — increasing significantly. This methane emission, however, does not stop here. Even more methane, along with nitrous oxide, is released into the atmosphere when such animal waste is being processed.
Producing food for food? Cutting down on the production of meat and other animal products does more than just support the fight to conserve our planet and advocate for a more sustainable way of life through environmental vegetarianism. What we often fail to realise is that the crops needed to feed livestock fuels a project that creates food to supplement the creation of food. Instead of supplying the grains yielded from the crops to human beings in desperate need of it and those affected by the world food crisis, they are being fed to livestock, exacerbating the current climate change crisis at hand. Whichever way you look at it, the livestock sector emerges as a very significant contributor to environmental problems at every scale from local to global, including land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and pollution and loss of biodiversity. The answer is simple. Limiting or abstaining from meat consumption would consume less of our limited resources. We have the power to help reduce global warming. Turn towards a vegetarian diet and help make a difference to the planet. (The writer is a leading Asian businessman, bestselling author and speaker. He is also a major investor in the Colombo Stock Exchange.)
Guest Column
The effect that meat production has on the environment is now believed to be even more damaging than the impact made on it by the transport industry
The President brought about optimum learning conditions: Prof. Epasinghe By freeing the country from the 30-year terrorism the President created an environment most conducive for learning, said ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) Chairman Prof. P. W. Epasinghe. The Senior Advisor to the
President and ICTA Chairman said so while participating as Chief Guest at the Young Inventors’ Day (Aurora) held at Ananda College, Colombo recently. His address at the event is reproduced below:
ICTA Chairman Professor P. W. Epasinghe receives a token of appreciation from Ananda College Principal L.M.D. Dharmasena
WE realise the great contribution the 0RESIDENT S WISE LEADERSHIP HAS MADE TO learning when we recall the days when parents served as watchers of schools during wartime. I am glad that one of my alma mater’s alumni, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, provided the muchNEEDED SUPPORT TO THE 0RESIDENT FOR ERADIcating terrorism. I am also pleased that another Anandian, even Minister Basil Rajapaksa, IS PROVIDING THE 0RESIDENT WITH THE EQUALly-needed support for winning the war for economic development and peace. In the precincts of Ananda we learned great qualities, including an unquenchable love for motherland and indefatigable devotion to duty. At Ananda I lived at a time when the World War II was waged. None of the buildings that now exist, except the Olcott Hall, existed at that time. In fact the name of Ananda College then was Ananda Maha Vidyalaya. The Army occupied part of the premises of Ananda College and my classroom then was in a cadjan-thatched shelter in the premises of Ananda College. Everything including food was scarce then. Necessity is the mother of invention. And as the great scholar Kumaratunga Munidasa says where there is no innovation, annihilation will soon follow. The innovative trait in me made me improvise my own homemade eraser. That was part of the stationery at that time in addition to
to embracing the whole student body in the G nib pen and a bottle of ink. I took an empty match box, went to the Sri Lanka by catering for an exchange and plot of rubber land in front of my house sharing of talents, skills, facilities and in the morning. By that time the latex had encouragement with other school children. The Ananda College been collected and Yo u n g I nv e n t o r s ’ there was a little porSociety, which counts tion remaining in the 20 years of existence, coconut shells used ha s hi t t he s tar s. for collecting latex. This has been done I poured the remain- Innovative thinking and invention can be literally by one of its ing latex int o the brought into play not only for turning out products producing empty box of match. a facility that makes I came home asked gadgetry but also social harmony. If the complicated computer the mother for some Sinhala people can understand what the activities simple for lime juice from the the handicapped and kitchen. That was the Tamil people say and the Tamil people can the non-handicapped. acetic acid I used to understand what the Sinhala people say, I understand that his put into the latex I had in the match box that politicians would not have been successful name is part of the astral nomenclature. turned the latex into in driving a wedge between the two All the other sons an improvised eraser language speaking groups and daughters of all for me. the schools including Innovative thinking the 87 who particiand invention can be pated in the Aurora brought into play not exhibition and comonly for turning out gadgetry but also social harmony. If the petitions deserve plaudits. Those who won Sinhala people can understand what the awards and those who tried but failed to Tamil people say and the Tamil people can top the list both in the local, regional and understand what the Sinhala people say, international arena should be congratulatpoliticians would not have been successful ed for their effort. I am glad that the Young in driving a wedge between the two lan- Inventors’ Society of Ananda College, Colombo was awarded the award for the guage speaking groups. I am happy that my alma mater has gone best school-based inventors’ society in Sri beyond parochial thinking and is poised ,ANKA IN BY THE 0RESIDENT