In America, due to the Paris Climate Agreement, there is a goal of keeping global warming at bay at 1.5 degree Celsius. Between 37% and 49% of the green house gas emission budget will be used towards the livestock sector alone in order to keep the temperature down. Livestock production is the largest source of the two prominent greenhouse gases: methane and nitrous oxide. Methane has a shorter life span than carbon dioxide in the environment, but over a 20 year span, methane is more abundant and has 85 times more Global Warming Potential. By 2030, methane emissions strictly from livestock are expected to rise by 60 percent.
In order to meet the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal, the anthropogenic (from the influence of human beings on nature) greenhouse gas emissions need to reach it’s height, then go down to a level of net zero during this century or by 2050. In order to achieve this there would need to be immediate and heavy reductions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide by 2030.
According to a study by Springmann et al., climate change is projected to reduce food availability throughout the world, and as a result bring approximately half a million deaths by 2050.
Springmann, Marco, et al. “Global and regional health effects of future food production under climate change: a modelling study.” The Lancet 387.10031 (2016): 1937-1946.
Cici's Capstone 