SCIENCE in your LIFE
Diet for the Earth
By E.A.
We all know some food is better for ourselves than others. But what many people do not think about is what food is good for our environment. Everything we eat and consume is made and produced somewhere, whether it be a farm or factory.
At both of these places, greenhouses gases are produced. Greenhouse gases are a mix of gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, and air we breathe. These gases trap the heat in the atmosphere and cause the Earth to get hotter. These gases are called “greenhouse” gases because they work like a greenhouse would, but instead of warming up plants, it warms the Earth.
Farms are natural and produce fresh produce, including fruits, veggies, and meat. That sounds good for the environment, right? The answer to this question is tricky. Some farms that produce mostly fruits and veggies are more environmentally friendly than others. Machines like tractors to help harvest the fruit and ship it out to us typically produce these gases.
Farms that produce a lot of meat are much worse for the environment when talking about greenhouse gases. These farms require a lot of water and grains, which takes a lot of energy. Which ends up producing greenhouse gases in order to feed the animals and keep them healthy. In addition to the resources used to maintain the health and number of animals these farms have; these animals create greenhouse gases.
These gases are good in moderation. Greenhouse gases act like the insulation for your house. The greenhouse gases are only there to trap a little heat, just enough to keep our Earth warm. So, too much of greenhouse gases can become a bad thing and keep our Earth too hot.
The lower the demand for meat in our country, the less the animals the farms must feed and take care of, and the less greenhouse gases produced.
Please send any questions or comments to Dr. Spitzer (spitzern@marshall.edu )
Note: Any opinions expressed in these articles are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of Dr. Spitzer, the Department of Biological Sciences, or Marshall University.