Carrington, D. (2023, March 6). Meat, dairy and rice production will bust 1.5C climate target, shows study. The Guardian. Retrieved August 8, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/06/meat-dairy-rice-high-methane-food-production-bust-climate-target-study

 

Emissions from food production primarily from meat, dairy, and rice, are expected to lead to a global temperature increase of at least 0.7℃ by the end of the century, in addition to the 1℃ rise already observed. This alone would surpass the 1.5℃ climate increase target for the end of the century. Approximately 75% of the food-related heating is due to high-methane sources such as livestock. To mitigate this impact, it is expected that cutting meat consumption in wealthy nations, reducing livestock emissions and manure, and adopting renewable energy in the food system, could reduce the temperature rise by 55%. Although, these estimates may underestimate the situation as they assume constant animal product consumption whereas projections indicate a 70% increase in consumption by 2050. 

 

I was initially confused by this article as I did not know about the 1.5℃ target for the world by the end of the century; however, after reading closer I became more concerned as meat production appears to leave a large impact on the global temperature. Some of the environmental consequences due to an increase in global temperature, especially an increase that surpasses targets that have been set, are destroyed ecosystems and more severe dangerous weather events, such as hurricanes. The article expects that the target will be passed by 0.2℃, but it assumes things such as constant animal product consumption, but other studies and articles show that this is not an accurate prediction for the future; animal product consumption has increased almost every year since 1990. This article shines light on the temperature impacts that meat production has. It gives context to the consequences that come with increased meat production, as talked about in the prior article. The article notes that the main contributors to the temperature rise due to food production comes primarily from high-methane sources, this is primarily meat.