How the vegan/vegetarian diet is not so environmentally friendly- Sarah Chapman

 In class we discussed how going vegan isn’t all it’s cracked up to be for being green and reducing an individual's carbon footprint. There is no doubt that meat – beef in particular – makes an unsurpassable contribution to the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. It also devours more land and water and causes more environmental damage than any other single food product. However, those looking to adopt a vegan or vegetarian diet for environmental reasons may also want to consider whether some plant-based foods also come with a heavy price. Fruits such as blueberries and strawberries are imported to Europe and the US, a study found that in the UK asparagus has the highest carbon footprint compared to any other vegetable eaten in the country, with 5.3kg of carbon dioxide being produced for every kilogram of asparagus, mainly because much of it is imported by air from Peru. The water, and land carbon footprint of growing and transporting such large, perishable fruit has a larger environmental impact than vegetarians or vegans realize. Artificial fertilizers, for example, account for at least 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the industry. The production of synthetic fertilizer emits carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane into the atmosphere, while their use on fields releases nitrous oxide, another potent greenhouse gas. Fruits such as avocados require a substantial amount of water to grow, in other words, about 46 gallons of water is spent every day to keep the avocado tree alive and producing fresh fruit. It is a staggering amount in the dry summer months in water-stressed regions such as California, Chile, Mexico, and southern Spain, where many commercial avocado crops are grown, and puts huge pressure on the local environment. Mushrooms also have a heavy carbon footprint. One study, funded by the US Department of Agriculture, showed that producing a kilogram of Agaricus bisporus – the common button, chestnut and portobello mushrooms we buy in the shops – emits 2.13-2.95kg of CO2, while the US Mushroom Council says a kilogram of mushrooms produces less than 0.7kg of CO2. Most of the emissions come from the energy needed to keep the rooms where mushrooms are cultivated warm. Growing rooms and compost need to reach temperatures of up to 62C, depending on the system being used, for the mushrooms to grow. So while there are benefits to reducing an individual's meat consumption, the alternative methods are not net zero. To mass produce and provide, resources such as land, water, and equipment are used to grow these products. 



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