Livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than transportation. If Americans were to reduce meat consumption by just 20% it would be as if we all switched from a standard sedan — a Camry, say — to an ultra-efficient Prius.
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A sea change in the consumption of a resource that Americans take for granted may be in store — something cheap, plentiful, widely enjoyed and a part of daily life. And it isn’t oil.
It’s meat.
The two commodities share a great deal: Like oil, meat is subsidized by the federal government. Like oil, meat is subject to accelerating demand as nations become wealthier, and this, in turn, sends prices higher. Finally — like oil — meat is something people are encouraged to consume less of, as the toll exacted by industrial production increases, and becomes increasingly visible.
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