"Calculations
show that environmental cost per calorie of dairy, poultry, pork and eggs are
mutually comparable, but strikingly lower than the impacts of beef."
Report above indicates Beef production
requires 28 times the land of the other averaged group, 11 times the irrigation
water, and produces 5 times Greenhouse Gases.
Following charts from UBC Virtual Water Report, show
water requirements and water use in the Okanagan and the high consumption for
beef production. Some recent calculations by the Ministry of Agriculture for
the Kettle basin indicate water demand estimates for beef production at more
than 83% of total demand.
See also Schreier Report: Better by the Drop
GLOBALY
• The environmental impact per
unit of livestock production must be cut in half, just to avoid increasing the
level of damage beyond its present level. About 73% of rangelands in dry areas, have been degraded to some extent, mostly through overgrazing, compaction and erosion created by livestock action
• Livestock sector is
responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent.
This is a higher share than transport.
• Livestock now account for
about 20% of the total terrestrial animal biomass, and the 30% of the earth's
land surface that they now pre-empt was once habitat for wildlife.
• While regulating scale,
inputs, wastes and so on can help, a crucial element is the correct pricing of
natural resources such as land, water and use of waste sinks. Most frequently
natural resources are free or underpriced. which leads to overexploitation and
pollution.
• A top priority is to achieve
prices and fees that fully reflect the full economic and environmental costs,
including all externalities.
This list from: Report by Food &
Agriculture Organization of the U.N. Livestocks Long Shadow.
Other
resources on local impacts:
“historical grazing has resulted in
significantly altered grassland status today (i.e. it is far from its natural condition);
•
recovery of grasslands towards a natural condition is slow, and in some
cases may not be possible without
further intervention; and,
•
recent grazing practices have further slowed the recovery to natural condition on
some sites.”
"The public would not tolerate this
level of damage if it were caused by a logging operation,” said board chair
Bill Cafferata. "Clear and measurable standards are needed to protect
sensitive riparian areas.”
Boundary Alliance Reports on Water Quality: E.coli Counts in Local Streams 2013
Boundary Alliance article: The Problem withRange Cattle.
