Goddard 1

Anna Goddard

Professor Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1103

09 September 2019

Topic Proposal: How is livestock contributing to climate change?

Introduction/Overview

Throughout this project, I am going to analyze the effect that the meat industry has on the

environment and what can be done to mitigate these effects. In modern America, the meat

industry is growing exponentially, with people consuming more animal products than ever

before. With this, comes mass production which does not take the environmental impact it may

have into consideration, big corporations care only about producing as much product as fast as

they can.

In the article, “Land, irrigation water, greenhouse gas, and reactive nitrogen burdens of

meat, eggs, and dairy production in the United States,” it is made clear that animal product

production is one of the most pervasive ways that humans impact the environment. Animal

consumption contributes to around one fifth of greenhouse gas emissions. This is a statistic that

is highly overlooked. Along with gas emissions, livestock-based food production is a large factor

in water pollution due to nutrients overabundance. According to Roddy Schear in his article in

the Scientific American, “four-fifths of the deforestation across the Amazon rainforest could be

linked to cattle ranching.” It is evident that this is a problem affecting all different parts of the

globe.

To learn this information, I was able to access this academic journal along with many

others in the UNCC library data base. There is also useful information and statistics published on
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the internet from dependable sources. I was also able to talk to some people I know that have

more knowledge on the subject who were able to either provide me with information or point me

in the right direction to access valuable information.

This topic is very underdiscussed and overlooked. Many people believe that when people

cut down on meat consumption or go vegan/vegetarian, they are doing it out of their love for the

animals. While in many cases, they’re right, there’s also a lot of people who do it simply because

of the environmental issues that come along with animal-based products. I am writing this paper

to encourage people to look past the ethical issues of meat consumption that many companies

like PETA preach, and to take a step back and look at the effect it is having on the world around

them. Many people will be so quick to dismiss the idea of cutting down meat consumption, but

then advocate for issues like climate change. I want people to be able to see the connection

between these two because without recognition of the issue, there is going to be no way to fix it.

Initial Inquiry Question(s)

What is the effect of livestock-based production on the environment and what can we as

people do to mitigate this issue? What policies or regulations could the government put into

place to address this issue?

My Interest in this Topic

This topic is very appealing to me as I’ve been interested in the topic for a while. I have

been vegetarian for almost 5 years now, and when I started it I really didn’t start for any reason

in specific, I just kind of wanted to try it. However, upon doing more research into it, I realized

how much being vegetarian impacted the environment in a positive way. Do I think everyone

should go out and go vegan or vegetarian? No. It is not a lifestyle everyone has the resources or

money to live, however I do believe that if you have the ability, you should try to watch how
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much animal product you are consuming. When brining it up to my friends and other people, I

have also come to realize that this is not a well-known issue. Many people don’t know the

environmental aspect of meat consumption and I think it is important for others to be aware.

I’ve done my fair share of research in the last five years and would say I know a decent

amount on the topic. I know general statistics and basic facts about the topic. I would like to

learn more specific facts about the topic. What exactly are companies doing that is causing these

emissions and wastes? I also want to learn about current government efforts to try and limit this.

Are there any acts or restrictions put in place for these companies and if so then why are they

still a top contributor to greenhouse gases? What can be done and what incentives would have to

be put in place to effectively cut down the emissions being caused.

Next Steps
In order to find more research, I will likely go to the UNCC library data base. So far, I

have had the most luck finding articles through there that are reliable and unbiased. Instead of

forcing their opinion and lifestyle on you, the simply tell you the necessary facts which I believe

is a better way to communicate information. In terms of internet publications, I will likely use the

internet because it does have some helpful information, however to make sure I am getting

accurate and relevant information I have made an effort to do a quick search on the author of the

article. If I find myself needing more information, I may go to the library to find resources there.