Why give up beef? To live longer & to do what politicians seem incapable of doing i.e. tackle global warming & fight global water shortages.

Before I start let me say that I love eating meat and particularly beef. I have mostly distrusted vegetarians throughout my life in much the same way as I have distrusted anyone who takes certain areas of their lives to extremes (I was brought up on idea of a little of everything but nothing in excess). Anyway the more I read & the older I get the more I feel compelled to do more for my health(and that of my children) and also do more to help the environment (An issue that really only interested me after having children since until then I didnt really need to worry about the impact that my generational excesses would have). I am under no illusion that quitting beef is enough but it's a start and that I believe that is the most important part. With big issues such as these so often it is the path of least resistance to do nothing given the perceived enormity of the matter i.e. what difference can I make. I think that is a dangerous self destructive idea that we cannot afford for our children to embrace and it is up to us, the worst generational offenders, to point our children in the right direction.

4 KEY REASONS TO GIVE UP RED MEAT;

1/Worldwide livestock farming generates 18% of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions (Animal waste generates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that has 296 times the warming effect of CO2 / Cow flatulence=methane gas which has 23 times the warming impact of CO2)  - by comparison, all the world's cars, trains, planes and boats account for a combined 13% of greenhouse gas emissions…

2/In Latin America, the FAO estimates that some 70% of former forest cover has been converted for grazing. Lost forest cover heats the planet, because trees absorb CO2 while they're alive — and when they're burned or cut down, the greenhouse gas is released back into the atmosphere.

3/ "The bottom line is we found an association between red meat and processed meat and an increased risk of mortality," said Rashmi Sinha of the National Cancer Institute. Cooking red meat generates cancer-causing compounds; red meat is also high in saturated fat, which has been associated with breast and colorectal cancer; and meat is high in iron, also believed to promote cancer. People who eat red meat are more likely to have high blood pressure and cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease. Processed meats contain substances known as nitrosamines, which have been linked to cancer. 

4/WATER! Yale School of Forestry & Environment; It takes 1,300 gallons of water to make a hamburger(National Geographic estimates 1 lb of beef requires 1799 gallons of water vs a Pig at 576 gallons). If you look at the whole agriculture food chain on average today, that's what's going on, and maybe 90 gallons of water to make a cup of coffee. A kilogram of beef has the environmental impact in terms of pollution, including greenhouse gas pollution, of driving an average car for three hours while you leave all the lights in your house on for those three hours. Also worth mentioning it takes 3/4 galloon of oil to produce one pound of beef or 283 gallons (6~ oil drums) to produce your average cow!

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/embedded-water/

A FEW MORE INTERESTING LINKS ON THE TOPIC;

JON CAMPBELL(CONSULTANT); 10 MORE REASONS TO STOP EATING BEEF; http://www.cqs.com/beef.htm

TIME MAGAZINE; How Cows (Grass-Fed Only) Could Save the Planet
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1953692,00.html

TIME MAGAZINE; MEAT MAKING GLOBAL WARMING WORSE;
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1839995,00.html?loomia_si=t0:a16:g2:r1:c0.305971:b29801512&xid=Loomia

WASHINGTON POST; DAILY RED MEAT RAISES CHANCES OF DYING EARLY;
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032301626.html

THE BENEFITS OF EATING GRASS FED BEEF;
http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp