"Average
annual economic losses from weather-related disasters, worldwide,during
the 1980s: $8 billion" (Dunn, Seth,
"Weather-related Losses Hit New High," Vital Signs 1999,
Worldwatch Institute, pg 75) [02.07.27:03]
"Average
annual economic losses from weather-related disasters, worldwide,
during the 1990s: $40 billion"
(Dunn, Seth, "Weather-related Losses Hit New High,"
Vital Signs 1999, Worldwatch Institute, pg 75) [02.07.27:04]
"Comparison
of the economic losses from weather-related disasters in the single
year of 1998 to those that occured throughout the entire decade
of the 1980s combined: More than $12 billion greater." (Dunn,
Seth, "Weather-related Losses Hit New High," Vital Signs
1999, Worldwatch Institute, pg 75) [02.07.27:05]
"The
upward trend in weather-related disasters has occurred in tandem
with a rise in global average surface temperatures, which scientists
observe may increase the frequency and intensity of extreme events,
including the wind speed of tropical storms... Continued climate
change will almost inevitably yield increasingly extreme natural
events and large catastrophic losses."(Worldwatch Institute)
(Dunn, Seth, "Weather-related Losses Hit New High,"
Vital Signs 1999, Worldwatch Institute, pg 74) [02.07.27:06]
"One
of the most potent greenhosue gases destabilizing the planetís
climate is methane. It is some 24 times more potent a greenhouse
gas than carbon dioxide, and its concentration in the atmosphere
has been rising faster - by about 1 percent per year for the last
fifty years." (Ciborowski, P., "Sources, sinks, trends,
and opportunities," in Abrahamson, D., ed., The Callenge
of Global Warming, Island Press, Washington DC, 1989; See also
Khalil, M. and Rasmussen, R., "Sources, sinks, and seasonal
cycles of atmosphjeric methane," Journal of Geophysical Research,
1983:88:5131-33) [02.07.27:07]
"(It
is a) myth that U.S. cattle produce large amounts of methane,
a 'greenhouse' gas, thereby contributing significantly to possible
global warming problems." (National Cattlemen's Beef Association)
("Myths and Facts About Beef Production: Methane Productions,"
National Cattlemen's Beef Association) [02.07.27:08]
"Livestock
account for 15% to 20% of (overall) global methane emissions.î
(Worldwatch Institute) (Durning, Alan, and Brough, Holly,
"Taking Stock: animal Farming and the Environment,"
Worldwatch Paper 103, July 1991) [02.07.27:09]
"The
overall energy efficiency of beef often is comparable, or even
superior, to the energy efficiency of plant-source foods."
(National Cattlemen's Beef Association) ("Myths and Facts
About Beef Production: Energy Use," National Cattlemen's
Beef Association) [02.07.27:10]
"American
feed (for livestock) takes so much energy to grow that it might
as well be a petroleum byproduct." (Worldwatch Institute)
("The Price of Beef," WorldWatch, July/Aug 1994, pg
39) [02.07.27:11]
"Calories
of fossil fuel expended to produce 1 calorie of protein from soybeans:
2" ( Pimentel, David and Marcia,
Food, Energy and Society, 1979, pg 59; And Pimentel, et. al.,
"Energy and Land Constraints in Food Protein Production,î
Science, Nov 21, 1975; cited in Lappe', Frances Moore, Diet For
A Small Planet, 20th anniversary edition, Ballantine books, New
York, 1991, pg 74-75) [02.07.27:12]
"Calories
of fossil fuel expended to produce 1 calorie of protein from beef:
78" (Pimentel, David and Marcia,
Food, Energy and Society, 1979, pg 59; And Pimentel, et. al.,
"Energy and Land Constraints in Food Protein Production,"
Science, Nov 21, 1975; cited in Lappe', Frances Moore, Diet For
A Small Planet, 20th anniversary edition, Ballantine books, New
York, 1991, pg 74-75) [02.07.27:13]
"Results
(of extensive research at the Fort Krogh Livestock and Range Reserve
Laboratory at Miles City, Montana) pointedly reveal the high level
of dependency of the U.S. beef cattle industry on fossil fuels.î
(Journal of Animal Science, 1996) (Heitschmidt, R. K., et.
al., "Ecosystems, sustainability, and animal agriculture,"
Journal of Animal Science 1996:74:1395-1405) [02.07.27:14]
"The
two worst things people do to the planet in their daily lives
(according to the Union of Concerned Scientists): Drive vehicles
that get poor gas mileage and eat beef." ("Groupís Surprising
Beef with Meat Industry: Study ranks production of beef, poultry
and pork as second to automobiles in ecological cost," San
Francisco Chronicle, Apr 27, 1999; See also Brower, Michael, and
Leon, Warren, The Consumerís Guide to Effective Environmental
Choices: Practical advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists,
Three Rivers Press/Crown Publishers, New York, 1999) [02.07.27:15]
"Amount
of greenhouse-warming carbon gas released by driving a typical
American car, in one day: 3 kilograms."
("The Price of Beef," WorldWatch, July/Aug 1994, pg
39) [02.07.27:16]
"Amount
released by clearing and burning enough Costa Rican rainforest
to produce beef for one hamburger: 75 kilograms."
(Munoz, K, et al, "Food Intakes of U.S. Children and Adolescents
Compared with Recommendations," Pediatrics, Sept 1997, pg 323-29.
See also, "Few Young People Eat Wisely, Study Shows," Associated
Press, New York Times, Sept 3, 1997, A-12) [02.07.27:17]
"The
evidence of global warming has been inconclusive at best... whether
(there exists) a warming trend is unclear." (National Cattelmen's
Beef Association)" ("Myths and Facts About Beef Production:
Methane Production," National Cattlemen'ís Beef Association)
[02.07.27:18]
"Global
warming has emerged as the most serious environmental threat of
the 21st century... Only by taking action now can we insure that
future generations will not be put at risk.î (Letter to the President
from 49 Nobel Prize winning scientists) " (Booth, W., "Action
urged against global warming: scientists appeal for curbs on gases,"
Washington Post, Feb 2, 1990) [02.07.27:19]
"Area
of tropical rainforest destroyed for the production of each fast-food
hamburger made from rainforest beef: 55
square feet." (Denslow, Julie, and Padoch,
Christine, People of the Tropical Rainforest, University of California
Press, 1988, pg 169) [02.08.08.01]
"Rainforest
beef is typically found in fast food hamburgers or processed beef
products. In both 1993 and 1994 the United States imported
over 200,000,000 pounds of fresh and frozen beef from Central
American countries. Two-thirds of these countriesí rainforests
have been cleared, primarily to raise cattle whose stringy, cheap
meat is exported to profit the U.S. food industry. When
it enters the United States, the beef is not labeled with its
country of origin, so there is no way to trace it to its sources."
(Rainforest Action Network) ("Seven Things You Can
Do to Save the Rainforest," Rainforest Action Network
Factsheet, http://www.ran.org/ran/info_center/factsheets/)
[02.08.08.02]
"Growing
imports of beef by the United States from southern Mexico and
Central America during the past 25 years has been the major factor
in the loss of about half of the tropical forests there --- all
for the sake of keeping the price of hamburger in the United States
about a nickel less than it would have been otherwise."
(MacArthur Foundation Report) (Raven, Pwerter, We're Killing
Our World: The Global Ecosystem in Crisis, MacArthur Foundation,
Illinois, 1987, pg 8) [02.08.08.03]
"Number
of species of birds in one square mile of Amazon rainforest:
More than exist in all of North America." (Gore,
Al, Earth In Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit, Plume,
New York, 1993, pg 23) [02.08.08.04]
"Life
forms destroyed in the production of each fast-food hamburger
made from rainforest beef: Members of 20 to 30 different
plant species,100 different insect spcies, and dozens of bird,
mammal and reptile species." (Denslow, Julie, and
Padoch, Christine, People of the Tropical Rainforest, University
of California Press, 1988, pg 169) [02.08.08.05]
"The
number one factor in elimination of Latin Americaís tropical rainforests
is cattle-grazing... the "hamburgerization" of the forests."
(Norman Myers, Author of The Primary Source: Tropical Forests
and Our Future) (Myers, Norman, The Primary Source:
Tropical Forests and Our Future, W. W. Norton, New York and London,
1984, pg 127, 142) [02.08.08.06]
"What
a hamburger produced by clearing forest in India would cost if
the real costs were included in the price rather than subsidized:
$200" ("The
Price of Beef," WorldWatch, July/Aug 1994, pg
39) [02.08.08.07]
"Price
paid by American cattlemen for the use of government land to raise
beef, per hamburger: 1 cent"
("The Price of Beef," WorldWatch, July/Aug
1994, pg 39) [02.08.08.08]
WATER
"The
conclusion of a 2000 report by the World Commission on Water predicts
that the increase in water use in the future due to rising population
numbers will 'impose intolerable stesses on the environment, leading
not only to a loss of biodiversity (species extinction), but also
to a vicious circle in which the stresses on the ecosystem (will)
no longer provide the services for plants and people." ("A
Water Secure World: Vision for Water, Life, and the Environment,"
Reproted in Mittelstaedt, Martin, "World Water Use to Soar
to Crisis Levels, Study Says," The Globe and Mail, March
14, 2000) [02.10.01.01]
"Water
required to produce one pound of U.S. beef, according to the national
Cattlemens' Beef Association: 441 gallons"
("Myths and Facts About Beef Production: Water Use,"
National Cattlemen's Beef Association) [02.10.01.02]
"Water
required to produce one pound of U.S.beef: 2,500
gallons" (per Dr. George Borgstrom, Chairman
of Food Science and Human Nutrition Dept of College of Agriculture
and Natural Resources, Michigan State University, "Impacts
on Demand for and Quality of land and Water," Presentation
to the 1981 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science) [02.10.01.03]
"Water
required to produce 1 pound of California beef: 2,464
gallons" ("Water Inputs in California
Food Production," Water Education Foundation, Sacramento,
CA ) [02.10.01.04]
"Water
required to produce one pound (lb.) of California foods:
- 1
lb. lettuce: 23 gallons
- 1
lb. tomatoes: 24 gallons
- 1
lb. wheat: 25 gallons
- 1
lb. carrots: 33 gallons
- 1
lb. apples: 49 gallons
- 1
lb. chicken: 815 gallons
- 1
lb. pork: 1,630 gallons
- 1
lb. beef: 5,214 gallons
(according
to Soil and Water specialists, Univ. of Calif. Agricultural Extension,
working with livestock farm advisors: Schulbach, Herb , et. al.,
in Soil and Water, No. 38, Fall 1978) [02.10.01.05]
"In
California, the single biggest consumer of water is not Los Angeles.
It is not the oil and chemicals or defense industries. Nor is
it the fields of grapes and tomatoes. It is irrigated pasture:
grass grown in a near-desert climate for cows... The West's water
crisis --- and many of its environmental problems as well ---
can be summed up, implausible as this may seem, in a single word:
livestock." ("Cadillac
Desert", by Marc Reisner) [02.10.01.06]
"Nearly
half the water consumed in this country is used for livestock,
mostly cattle." (Audubon Magazine, Dec. 1999) [02.10.01.07]
"Irrigation
to grow food for livestock, including hay, corn, sorghum, and
pasture, uses 50 out of every 100 gallons of water consumed in
the United States." (Frances Moore Lappe, Diet for
a Small Planet, 20th Anniversary Edition, Ballantine Books, New
York, 1991, pg. 76) [02.10.01.08]
"Only
within the last half-century have we acquired the ability to use
powerful diesel and electric pums to empty aquifer in a matter
of decades... Around the world, as more water is diverted to raising
(cattle), pigs and chickens, instead of producing crops for direct
consumption, millions of wells are going dry. India, china, North
Africa, and the United States are all running freshwater deficits,
pumping more from their aquifers than rain can replenish."
(Ayres, Ed, "will We Still Eat Meat? Maybe not, if we wake
up to what the mass production of animal flesh is doing to our
health, and the planet's," Time, Nov. 8, 1999) [02.10.01.09]
"The
amount of water that goes into a 1,000 pound steer would float
a (Naval) destroyer." ("The Browning of America,"
Newsweek, Feb. 22, 1981, pg. 26) [02.10.01.10]
"Nearly
half of all the waters off the coast of the United States are
so damaged they cannot fully support aquatic life"
("EPA Report Finds Nearly Half of Coastal Waters Damaged,
Not Fit For Life", http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/coastal_waters020403.html,
April 3, 2002, by Bob Jamieson ) [02.09.30.01]
"A
major threat to estuaries is pollution from farms and lawns, from
roads and construction sites borne hundreds of miles by rivers
including the Mississippi. The Gulf of Mexico, the EPA said, collects
pollutants from 40 percent of the land in the continental United
States" ("EPA Report Finds Nearly Half of Coastal
Waters Damaged, Not Fit For Life", http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/coastal_waters020403.html,
April 3, 2002, by Bob Jamieson ) [02.09.30.02]
"Unfortunately,
the Gulf of Mexico has been treated as somewhat of a sewer by
the rest of the United States," said Mark Muhich of the Sierra
Club" ("EPA Report Finds Nearly Half of Coastal
Waters Damaged, Not Fit For Life", http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/DailyNews/coastal_waters020403.html,
April 3, 2002, by Bob Jamieson ) [02.09.30.03]
"Study
finds over 80% of U.S. streams and rivers are contaminated with
a broad array of medical drugs, including hormones, antibiotics,
antidepressants, and heart medications, as well as chemicals from
personal care and household cleaning products. The first U.S.-wide
study of pharmaceutical pollution of rivers and streams offers
an unsettling picture of waterways contaminated with antibiotics,
painkillers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, steroids, synthetic
hormones used in contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy,
antidepressants, and other commonly used drugs, as well as chemicals
found in beauty aids, household cleaners, and foods."
(Washington Post, March 13, 2002) [02.09.30.04]
"Scientists
have long known that as much as 90 percent of ingested drugs are
excreted from the body in a still potent form. Other substances,
such as stale coffee and unused prescriptions, are often flushed
directly down toilets or poured down drains. Scores of those chemicals
might not be removed from wastewater at sewage treatment plants
and some of the compounds might end up in drinking water."
(Washington Post, March 13, 2002) [02.09.30.05]
SPECIES
EXTINCTION
"A
1998 report in Science magazine concluded that the destruction
of life in the oceans has progressed farther than anyone has suspected."
(Pauly,
Daniel, et. al., "Fishing Down Marine Food Webs," Science,
Feb 6, 1998, pg 860-63) [02.09.20.01]
"In
1999, University of Wyoming law professor, Debra Donahue, who
holds a masterís degree in wildlife biology, wrote a book in which
she said the most important thing that could be done to protect
species from extinction and preserve biodiversity is to remove
livestock from nearly all public lands. In response, Wyoming Senate
president and cattleman Jim Twiford proposed a bill that would
dismantle the university law school."
(Wilkinson, Todd, "In a Battle over Cattle, both sides await
grazing ruling," Christian Science Monitor, May 1, 2000)
[02.07.27:20]
"Leading
cause of species in the tropical rainforests being threatened
or eliminated: Livestock Grazing." ("Livestock and Environment,"
Agriculture 21, Agriculture Department, Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations) [02.07.27:21]
"Leading
cause of species in the United States being threatened or eliminated
(according to the U.S. Congress General Accounting Office): Livestock
Grazing." (Wuerthner, George, "The Price is Wrong,"
Sierra, Sept/Oct 1990, pg 40-41. Also, Bogo, Jennifer, "Where's
The Beef?" E Magazine, Nov/Dec 1999, pg 49) [02.07.27:22]
