Panel 1 - Environmental impact
Farm animals are really inefficient as "machines" which convert vegetable proteins into animal proteins; as a consequence, animal products use far more resources overall than vegetable. A huge global waste of resources is one of the least publicized, but most acutely felt consequences of the much-touted "Livestock revolution". It is undeniable that this waste of resources imposes a huge ecological burden on the planet. As stated by the World Watch Institute, as environmental science has advanced, it has become apparent that the human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future: deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, the destabilization of communities, and the spread of disease.
This panel examines all the above-mentioned environmental and social issues in detail.