Newest Meat MythCrusher Tackles Myth of Meatless Monday Environmental Benefits
Monday, August 19, 2013
Washington D.C. —Saving
the environment by eating
less meat has been a rallying cry of Meatless
Monday supporters, but a new Meat
MythCrusher video challenges those claims.
The video features an interview
with Frank Mitloehner, Ph.D, Associate
Professor and Air Quality Specialist in
Cooperative Extension at the University of
California, Davis, who discusses
several common myths about modern meat
production including the myth that
cutting meat from your diet one day a week can
have a significant environmental
benefit.
Mitloehner cites
Environmental Protection Agency data showing
that
U.S. meat production has a carbon footprint of
3.4 percent, and beef production
1.4 percent. Using that data, if everyone were
to cut out beef from their diet
one day per week, it would lead to a .2 percent
greenhouse gas reduction.
“Your transportation
choices and your heating and cooling choices
have your greatest impact on your carbon
footprint, there’s no doubt about
that.” Mitloehner says. “Your food choices
also have an impact on your carbon
footprint, but it’s relatively minor compared
to the others.”
Mitloehner also highlights
the environmental benefits of today’s
modern, efficient systems and challenges
the idea that a vegetarian driving a
Hummer
has less of a carbon footprint than a meat
eater driving a Prius, which was
cited by researchers associated with the recent
in-vitro meat burger tasting.
“The difference between
driving a Prius and driving a Hummer is
huge and people who use that comparison use it
intentionally to mislead the
public,” Mitloehner says.
The Meat MythCrusher video
series is produced by the American Meat
Institute (AMI), in conjunction with the
American Meat Science Association
(AMSA), and seeks to bust some of the most
common myths surrounding meat and
poultry production and processing.
The series includes more than 25 videos and has
accumulated more than 40,000
views on YouTube since its launch in 2011.
Other video topics include myths
surrounding hormone use in animals, ammonia in
ground beef, grass-fed beef and
more.
All of the videos and more
are available at http://www.meatmythcrushers.com/.
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