If you have not watched this film yet, I would highly recommend it:
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret.
Being the hardcore conspirator that I am… I first thought it would be something about cattle mutilations or abductions, but upon reading the summary (it’s on Netflix by the way), I saw it was more about how cattle are destroying our planet (I knew they were going to get the last laugh)! I knew about the mass production of meat/dairy, the grains we feed them and the methane they emit were bad… Just didn’t know it was THAT bad and more-startlingly, how few environmental protection agencies actually even discuss it.
Movie Poster
There are few documentaries that are as eye-opening as this one (Zeitgeist also comes to mind). It sheds light on the Animal Agriculture Industry, an industry so massive, controlling, and powerful – it’s no wonder they can get away with being the leading reason behind some of the most serious, global problems.
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Water Consumption
- Rain Forest Depletion
- Land
- Oceans
- Waste
- Wildlife
You can read more facts on the documentaries official website.
These are very serious problems. These are problems we must address for the survivability of our own species and our planet. However, like most of these types of issues, no one wants to do anything about it – or better – feels like their minute change won’t make a difference for their lifetime or children’s. The problem is so enormous and complex no one wants to deal with it or think it is even possible. The fact is… it is a lot easier than many think – Just don’t eat meat or drink dairy products – then spread the word to friends and family… educate them! Tell them about this film! If you worry about the ‘Vegan Stereotype’, just tell them to greatly reduce the amount they consume. Reducing ones intake is a start in the right direction and can save thousands gallons of water, methane output and land.
While there are literally thousands of studies revealing the dangers of dairy/meat products and climate change, the Animal Agriculture Industry goes to great lengths to bury the evidence… after all, it would hurt their profit margin. They also deflect these issues by integrating into our daily lives and behavior at early/developmental ages by coercing government agencies and non-profit agencies to ‘play along’. They even get subsidies and other benefits squeezed out of them.
At a macro-level, the problem is we can’t supply enough cows to literally feed the growing demand for meat/dairy. We simply don’t have the land mass, water and energy to keep these cows grazing! We are shrinking the ‘lungs of our planet’ AND increasing the methane output at the same time. The human population continues to grow exponentially, and as other countries continue to uncover their lust for meat (China, 1.35 billion people), the number will balloon even more.
At at micro-level, the problem is we can’t easily change the behavior of someone drunk off years of mass media bullshit. We are all victims of a lifetime of propaganda from these corporations and special interest groups. From the years of being a baby drinking cow/dairy milk your mother blindly gives you (because they believe it is good for baby growth, has protein and vitamins) to learning about how protein rich meat/dairy are in the food pyramid in elementary school.
The reality is we are all too busy and selfish to step back and make difference of our world TODAY and not tomorrow. We care about paying our bills and getting through the day without going crazy. We are distracted by media and kept busy at our jobs… and that is exactly what this industry wants you to be doing. They want you to keep going to McDonalds. They want you to stay busy. While they too will suffer the consequences of their actions, they are laughing their way to the banks with billions of dollars.
Is there hope in making the Animal Agriculture Industry more sustainable? Is there anyway to continue to produce at even higher levels as the world’s population grows? I honestly don’t think so… the global impact it causes is alarmingly high… if we continue down this road there will be catastrophic price to pay in the very near future.