Is It Really the Cows' Fault?!

Much has been said in recent years about the massive production of the livestock industry, especially when we look at the harmful values ??of greenhouse gases greenhouse originating from bovine production and reproduction. In the end, some people are already blaming the kitties for global warming and the increase in the greenhouse effect. Poor things!

In fact, when looking at the data, it is undeniable that we are facing accelerated warming of our planet. Under the water level, there is the extinction of various species and all the catastrophic consequences that experts have been predicting occur.

And returning to agriculture, we cannot deny that this industry has contributed in part to this event. It is known that people tend to consume more and more meat and dairy products with each passing year. In fact, meat production is expected to double, based on the year 1999/2001, in which 229 million tons were produced, to 465 million tons in 2050.

But I wanted to get to the real point of the article. A Japanese study showed that the production of one kilogram of beef leads to the emission of greenhouse gases with a global warming potential equivalent to 36.4 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2).^(1). Now, I would like to refer you to the fact that the iPhone with the smallest ecological footprint, the iPhone SE, release around 45 kg of CO2 in its production (yes and we're just talking about CO2, I'm not even mentioning all other toxic gases involved in the procedure).⁽²⁾

Consult the following data:

We came to the conclusion that an iPhone 6 Plus produces the equivalent of CO2 as the same beef production that would feed an average person during six weeks (according to the amounts of meat recommended by the WHO).

By this I do not intend, of course, to start eating more meat and buying fewer iPhones. I do want to raise awareness of the need to see our actions as a whole. It's not because we stop eating meat that we're going to reduce our footprint (ecological footprint) if, in the meantime, we make excessive use of plastic and make thick eyes for the need to recycle. Of course, it is important to replace small harmful actions with more beneficial ones. Of course, purchasing a pre-owned smartphone in Forall Phones and handing over our old smartphone as a return is a Big step, but the objective is to move towards sustainability, and not have occasional actions, just because we think we did ?our part?.

Finally, I just wanted to add that the ultimate goal is to remind you of the importance of having BALANCE in all our actions and, in this sense, our position in relation to the environmentshould be no different. We have to look at what we do as a whole, as a sequence of decisions, more or less thought out, that in the future have the power to generate consequences. We should not simply follow what we are told will eventually be best.

To truly understand the impact of what we do, more important than changing actions is changing minds and hearts.< /span>

Go green or go home

Raquel Fernandes