With 7.5 billion people on Earth, it often feels like one person’s actions won’t make much of a difference. With daunting global issues like climate change, can an individual really do anything significant? My answer to this question developed from an unlikely source: cows.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock industry accounts for 14.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, and cows are a major contributor to emissions within the livestock industry. When cattle eat, they produce a combination of nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide; the latter two gases build up in the atmosphere, trapping heat and causing global warming. Since there are more than 1.4 billion cows living on Earth — most of them raised for milk or beef — the livestock industry has recently become an obvious threat to our planet.
The cattle industry is responsible for about 80 percent of deforestation in the Amazon region, according to Yale University. Not only does deforestation have negative effects on native animals, burning down the forest floor to clear the way for cows releases more carbon dioxide into the air.
After learning this about livestock agriculture, specifically the cattle industry, I was shocked. I felt guilty for being blind to its negative effects all my life. I am angry at myself and the world for contributing to such a harmful practice and am determined to change it.
In that moment, fueled by my rage and desire for change, I decided to cut cow products out of my life. But then, I thought, “Is this really going to make a difference? Why put myself through this when the action of a single person really changes nothing?” For a while, I was conflicted. Now, I believe I can finally answer those questions.
Putting in effort is difficult, especially when you don’t see it making a difference. Sometimes doing things like limiting meat intake seems useless, especially considering the extra time, discipline and discomfort it requires. Actions like buying meat, using non-recyclable plastics and shopping at unethical brands may seem harmless, but contributing to those businesses only prompts them to create more product and further damage our planet. Sure, refusing to eat steak once isn’t going to change the world, but it’s always better to put a little good back into the world rather than harming it further. Doing our part in helping the Earth, however small, is better than doing nothing at all. The only person we can control is ourselves, so why not better the only thing we have control over?
The only way any act or protest will make a tangible difference is if many people choose to make change. A powerful movement needs a leader who believes in their own convictions and changes their behavior accordingly. If I fought for a solution I didn’t follow through with, I wouldn’t be creating the change I wish to see.
While one isn’t responsible for solving global warming, we must do everything we can. I have tried to eat fewer animal products, ensure the things I recycle are recyclable and bring a reusable bottle. I set realistic goals for myself and knowing that even if I do not make dramatic alterations to my life, doing my part in helping the Earth, albeit minimal, makes an impact.
