Leonardo DiCaprio Calls For A “Ban On Beef”

Over the past decade or so, red meat has become a popular target for both health and environmental activists. An estimated 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the carbon emissions from the global livestock sector, with the beef and dairy industry accounting for 65% of all livestock emissions. DiCaprio has actively campaigned for environmental issues for years now. He helped produce the popular documentary Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret, which outlines some alarming statistics and the threat animal agriculture poses to our planet, and is now joining forces with Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevvak Sangh (RSS) to advocate for a complete ban on eating beef. RSS is a non-governmental organization affiliated with many important entities in India including charities, schools, and political parties, including Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The group’s call for a ban on beef is motivated by Hindu religious culture, which holds cows to be sacred, while DiCaprio and other fellow activists, including Sir Richard Branson and Sir David Attenborough, are motivated by the devastating environmental impacts of the beef industry. You may be thinking, why should I care what a celebrity has to say?, and for good reason, but the truth of the matter is, a celebrity as well known as DiCaprio can influence a lot of people with what he chooses to stand up for. With millions of fans within his reach, he can truly make a difference in the world by standing up for environmental issues and making more people aware of them. At the very least, he brings attention to issues which people might otherwise never have heard about. Many people are simply unaware of the devastating effects of what modern animal agriculture is doing to our environment, but it is the leading cause of climate change and carbon emissions. You may also be surprised to learn that it takes more than 11 times as much fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie from animal protein as it does to make 1 calorie from plant protein. This is what that process actually looks like: 1) Grow massive amounts of corn, grain, and soybeans (with all required tilling, irrigation, crop dusters etc.) 2) Transport the grain and soybeans to feed manufacturers on gas-guzzling 18 wheelers. 3) Operate the feed mills 4) Transport the feed to the factory farms 5) Operate the factory farms 6) Truck the animals many miles to slaughter 7) Operate the slaughterhouse 8) Transport the meat to processing plants 9) Operate the meat processing plants 10) Transport the meat to grocery stores 11) Keep meat refrigerated or frozen in stores until sold Keep in mind, this would be much more than 11 steps if this meat was being processed further into fast-food or processed packaged products like hot dogs. In order to save the environment, would you give up beef or at least drastically cut down your intake? Let us know in the comments section below! Much Love! .

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References:

• https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/field/field_document/20141203LivestockClimateChangeBaileyFroggattWellesley.pdf?dm_i=1TY5,30JL0,BHZILT,AUGSP,1
• http://www.dailyo.in/politics/mohan-bhagwat-modi-in-uk-rss-dicaprio-and-branson-sangh-shakha-vhp/story/1/11329.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashtriya_Swayamsevak_Sangh
• http://www.downtoearth.org/go-veggie/environment/top-10-reasons