Why This Book Is Important
Meat Climate Change: The 2nd Leading Cause of Global Warming by Dr. Moses Seenarine is a unique book that shows how diet is related one of the most serious environmental problems humans face, a problem which cannot be solved unless animal consumption is significantly reduced.
Demand for animal products is projected to increase by 50 percent from 2013 to 2025. Even if the world went fossil free by 2100, increasing animal consumption will continue to cause catastrophic global warming. Yet, livestock emissions are largely ignored and there are no books that focus on assessment of this critical issue.
We hope to raise enough funds to get this book published and distributed at the Paris climate talks in December 2015 to climate negotiators.
What's Inside The Book?
The book is around 375 pages in length, neatly organized, and well-documented, with over 600 references that represent a comprehensive, multidisciplinary analysis of the global food system. Importantly, the book also provides an excellent background on climate literacy, and great insights into climate politics.
Meat Climate Change: The 2nd Leading Cause of Global Warming serves as a guidebook to climate science and dietary change, and related environmental, social and psychological issues. It examines the impacts of climate change and diet on the poor, water, forests, soil, oceans, biodiversity and health.
Specifically, the book discusses how animal-based diets contributes to the three main greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. It explains in detail how livestock's greenhouse gas contributions are assessed and are significantly undercounted. Notably, the book compares future GHG emission projections for fossil fuel and animal-based industries.
Dr. Moses Seenarine is a plant-based father and activist, and founder of Climate Change 911. He is the author of Voices from the Subaltern (2004), and several articles on climate, environment, animals, gender, caste and migration. His work has been cited by the FAO, UNESCO, Human Rights Watch, Anti-Slavery International, the Institute for the Study of Labor, World Council of Churches, and many others.
How Will The Money Be Used?
Producing and marketing a book is expensive, and we really want to get Meat Climate Change into the hands of climate experts, negotiators and stakeholders.
The $10,000 budget allows us to edit, design, market, and print copies of the book, and to send review copies to universities, institutes, and non-profit organizations. We will ensure the printed edition is of the highest quality possible. We plan to get the book translated into different languages and delivered to libraries across the world. This budget also allows us to journey to Paris in December 2015, we can present the book directly to climate negotiators attending a major climate conference there.
Translation, travel and shipping play a major role in determining our budget, and comprise a significant portion of expenses. More details on the budget and the rewards are available on the website. If you have more specific questions, like tax-deductible or matching contributions, please message us in the comments section, or email us at meatclimatechange@gmail.com
What's In It For You?
There are many perks that are part of this fundraising campaign, including book recommendations, posters, and videos.
- For $20, you get a PDF copy of the book
- For $75, you get an autographed copy mailed to you
Higher levels of support include more copies of the book, acknowledgement in the book and on the website, and consultation time.
Other Ways You Can Help
- Let others know about this campaign. Share the links!
- If you decide to buy Meat Climate Change online later, buy directly from our website. Our prices are competitive, and it makes a huge difference to us financially.
- Keep an eye out for articles and videos on climate and diet by the author.
Un millón de gracias! A million thanks!
Table of Contents
1 - The Future is Now
- Introduction
- Pace of Climate Change
- Social Emergency
- Evidence of Poor Presentation?
- GHG Sources
- Animals and Climate Change
- Outline
- Conclusion
PART I - Climate 101
2 - Climate Science
- Introduction
- What is Climate Change?
- What is Global Warming?
- Climate Chemistry
- CO2 and Historical Temperature
- Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM)
- Modern Temperature Trends
- Why Is 1°C a Big Deal?
- Arctic Sea Ice Trends
- Conclusion
3 - Climate Politics
- Introduction
- The IPCC
- AR5 – WGII
- Countering 'Skeptics'
- US Climate Disasters
- Conclusion
4 - Structural Denial
- Introduction
- Denial Campaign
- Sociology of Denial
- Psychology of Denial
- Neoliberal Hegemony
- Climate (Dis)Accords
- US Reduction
- Neoliberal Climate in the US
- Conclusion
5 - How Hot by 2100?
- Introduction
- Climate Change and Health
- Future Emission Scenarios
- The IPCC's Focus on 2°C Limit
- Projecting Minimal Losses and Budget
- Ending GHGs: AR5 Synthesis
- Conclusion
6 - Beyond a 2°C Sunrise
- Introduction
- Scenario A1B: +3°C by 2100
- Scenario A1FI: +4°C by 2100
- Scenario A2: +5°C by 2100
- Missing Positive Feedbacks
- Burning All Fossil Fuels
- Conclusion
PART II - Counting GHGs
7 - What Crisis?
- Introduction
- A Tale of Two Sources
- Livestock's Emissions Denial?
- The IPCC and Livestock
- Sounding the Alarm
- Concerns Over Animal Agribusiness
- Conclusion
8 - Numbers Racket
- Introduction
- FAO 2006: Livestock is 18%
- Livestock Counter-claim
- FAO 2013: Livestock is 14.5%
- Emissions Breakdown
- Cattle: The Biggest Footprint
- Other Livestock Footprints
- Conclusion
9 - Over-Consumption Class
- Introduction
- Over-Consumption Class
- Animal-based Diet or Over Population?
- Global Trends in Animal Consumption
- Trends in US Animal Production
- Conclusion
10 - Meat is Neocolonialism
- Introduction
- Capitalist Consolidation
- Breeding Monopolies
- Feed and Neocolonialism
- Feed and Displacement
- GM Plantations and Seed Monopoly
- Livestock and Inequality
- Conclusion
11 - The Politics of Meat
- Introduction
- Agricultural Policy
- FAO's 30% Reduction
- Factory Farming is Not a Solution
- Structural Demand
- Mitigating Demand
- GLEAM
- Conclusion
12 - FAO's Aninomics
- Introduction
- Life-cycle Assessment
- Methodology
- Data Selection
- FAO's Under-counting LUC
- LUC and Other LCAs
- Validation of FAO's Findings
- Efficiency of Different Livestock Animals
- GLEAM Excluded Emissions
- Post Farm-Gate Emissions
- Goodland and Anhang's 51%
- Conclusion
PART III: Missing GHGs
13 - Too Much Gas!
- Introduction
- Atmospheric GHGs
- Unbalanced Carbon Cycle
- Methane Emissions
- Nitrogen Emissions
- Other Non-CO2 GHGs
- Conclusion
14 - Got Sink?
- Introduction
- Carbon Sinks
- Land Use Changes and CO2
- Deforestation
- Soy Protein and Ecosystems
- Overgrazing Grasslands and Soil
- Crops and Climate Change
- Lost Opportunity Cost
- Conclusion
15 – The 6th Mass Extinction
- Introduction
- Valuing Biodiversity
- Assessment of Biodiversity
- Biodiversity and Livestock
- Mass Extinctions
- Biodiversity Loss
- Wildlife Removal
- Wildlife Diseases
- Conclusion
16 - Water Footprints
- Introduction
- Water Terms
- Water Use
- Water Intensive
- Water Per Kg
- Crops and Water Pollution
- Conclusion
17 - Waste Pollution
- Introduction
- Animal Waste
- Volume is the Problem
- Waste and Disease
- Dead Zones
- Fish-kills
- Conclusion
18 - Missing Fish
- Introduction
- Ocean Acidification
- Commercial Fishing
- ByCatch
- Biodiversity Loss
- Farmed Fish
- Conclusion
19 - Panzootics
- Introduction
- Regulations to Nowhere
- Industrial Chicken
- Chicken Diseases
- Wet Markets
- Avian Flu
- Panzootics
- Climate Change and Die-Offs
- Conclusion
20 - Human Diseases
- Introduction
- A Lot of Protein
- Air Pollution
- Antibiotics
- Autism
- Bone Fracture
- Cancer
- Celiac Disease
- Chronic Diseases
- E. coli
- Food-borne Illnesses
- Growth Hormones
- Glyphosate
- Lactase Intolerance
- Mercury
- Nitrates
- Other Human Illnesses
- Conclusion
PART IV: Climate-Friendly Diet
21 - Personal Change
- Introduction
- Challenges
- Cognitive Dissonance
- Consumption Differences
- Change Barriers
- Weight, Shame and Diet
- Conclusion
22 - Social Change
- Introduction
- Social Activism
- Divestment from Animal Ag
- Alternatives To Animal-based Diet
- Conclusion
24 - Policy Change
- Introduction
- Public Backlash
- IPCC Priority
- Trade Agreements
- Biodiversity and Human Rights
- Regulations and Animal Welfare
- End Subsidies
- Procurement
- Meat Tax
- Awareness Campaigns
- Conclusion