Numbers 2

The ecological Footprint:

■ 70 per cent of forestland cleared in Amazon was to get plain pastures for livestock

■ 6 kilograms of plant protein when consumed by the animal makes 1 kilo gram of animal protein that can be further consumed. This is called energy-in to energy-out ratio and is on an average 25:1. 25 calories consumed by an animal produce 1 calorie of protein. This ratio is the lowest in a cow – 40:1.

■ 40 percent of all the grains of the world, grown on one third of all arable lands, are fed to the livestock.

■ 73 percent of maize, 95 percent of oilmeal is fed to animals.

Excretions:

■ Livestock excreta is 130 times more in volume than that of the entire human population put together.

■ Rate of production is 87,000 pounds per second

Emission:

■ Belching and flatulence of cattle releases methane. And as per the industry figures, the ratio of meat to the total carbon emitted is:

■ 1 kg of beef – 34.6 kg carbon

■ 1 kg of lamb – 17.4 kg carbon

■ 1 kg of chicken – 4.75 kg carbon.

Source below. Viewer discretion is advised for some meat pictures : http://www.gobartimes.org/themes/gobartimes/poster/2010_march_meat_mania.pdf