I only think factory-farmed meat is the problem. I use “eat less meat” as a shorthand, since nearly all meat is factory-farmed meat.
Factory-farmed meat converts photosynthetic energy (grass) to food much more efficiently than free-range farming. Factory farming requires less inputs in terms of arable land and water, and emits less CO2. If everyone in the world ate non-factory farmed meat, we would have to cut down the Amazon many times over, thereby drastically reducing earth’s capacity to convert CO2 back to carbohydrates.
When you decide whether your meat should be factory farmed or not, , there are consequences on two scales that are negatively correlated: Animal welfare and global warming. Which of these scales you give most weight to, will depend on your prior for anthropogenic global warming, on your beliefs about the consequences of global warming, and on the priority you give animals in your aggregation scheme over individuals with moral standing.
A source is “Allison, Richard. “Organic chicken production criticised for leaving a larger carbon footprint.” Poultry World. 1 Mar. 2007”. This article is behind a paywall. I am pasting a table from the article:
AVERAGE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FROM POULTRY PRODUCTION (% DIFFERENCE TO CONVENTIONAL)
Organic Free range
Energy use +33% +25%
Global warming potential (CO2) +46% +20%
Eutrophication potential +75% +28%
Acidification potential +52% +33%
Pesticide use (dose/ha) −92% +12%
Note: This article is in a trade publication and could be biased. It is based on an original report which I could not locate, and which apparently has sparse data. Obviously, more research is needed.
My prior beliefs are not the result of scientific studies, but follow from the following observations:
(1) To reduce global warming, we need to maximize the number of calories produced per unit of CO2 emission
(2) The most effective way we can alter that ratio, is by reducing the amount of biochemical energy that is used to power the biochemical processes of farm animals over the course of their lives. This is primarily a function of duration of their lives.
(3) Factory farming achieves shorter duration, by having the animals grow more quickly
(4) Another way we can reduce the net amount of CO2 produced per unit food, is by reducing the amount of land used, thus allowing less deforestation.
(5) Factory farming achieves this by using less land
(6) I cannot see any other mechanisms that differ between factory farming and organic farming which would have a major net effect on the carbon cycle.
Factory-farmed meat converts photosynthetic energy (grass) to food much more efficiently than free-range farming. Factory farming requires less inputs in terms of arable land and water, and emits less CO2. If everyone in the world ate non-factory farmed meat, we would have to cut down the Amazon many times over, thereby drastically reducing earth’s capacity to convert CO2 back to carbohydrates.
When you decide whether your meat should be factory farmed or not, , there are consequences on two scales that are negatively correlated: Animal welfare and global warming. Which of these scales you give most weight to, will depend on your prior for anthropogenic global warming, on your beliefs about the consequences of global warming, and on the priority you give animals in your aggregation scheme over individuals with moral standing.
Modern farming techniques are designed to minimize labor, especially managerial labor, not energy.
Factory-farmed animals don’t eat grass. This is a really important detail.
I hadn’t considered that. Do you have any sources for your claims?
Personally, I don’t eat meat of any type, so this wouldn’t be a problem for my diet.
A source is “Allison, Richard. “Organic chicken production criticised for leaving a larger carbon footprint.” Poultry World. 1 Mar. 2007”. This article is behind a paywall. I am pasting a table from the article:
AVERAGE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT FROM POULTRY PRODUCTION (% DIFFERENCE TO CONVENTIONAL) Organic Free range
Energy use +33% +25%
Global warming potential (CO2) +46% +20%
Eutrophication potential +75% +28%
Acidification potential +52% +33%
Pesticide use (dose/ha) −92% +12%
Note: This article is in a trade publication and could be biased. It is based on an original report which I could not locate, and which apparently has sparse data. Obviously, more research is needed.
My prior beliefs are not the result of scientific studies, but follow from the following observations:
(1) To reduce global warming, we need to maximize the number of calories produced per unit of CO2 emission
(2) The most effective way we can alter that ratio, is by reducing the amount of biochemical energy that is used to power the biochemical processes of farm animals over the course of their lives. This is primarily a function of duration of their lives.
(3) Factory farming achieves shorter duration, by having the animals grow more quickly
(4) Another way we can reduce the net amount of CO2 produced per unit food, is by reducing the amount of land used, thus allowing less deforestation.
(5) Factory farming achieves this by using less land
(6) I cannot see any other mechanisms that differ between factory farming and organic farming which would have a major net effect on the carbon cycle.