A recent study by Japanese scientists claims that eating beef is more harmful to the environment than driving a car.

Taking into account all the processes involved, they said, four average sized steaks generated greenhouse gases with a warming potential equivalent to 80.25lb of carbon dioxide.

This also consumed 169 megajoules of energy.

That means that 2.2lb of beef is responsible for greenhouse gas emissions which have the same effect as the carbon dioxide released by an ordinary car travelling at 50 miles per hour for 155 miles, a journey lasting three hours. The amount of energy consumed would light a 100-watt bulb for 20 days.

I’m sure you won’t hear much about this from cattlerancher Al Gore, but it raises some very interesting points.

How much of a lifestyle change should we expect society to make in defense of the environment? Gas prices are up, but so is fuel demand. If we ask our carnivorous nations to give up porterhouse and McDonald’s, green advocates can expect a full-fledged mutiny on their hands.

The alternative? Should we all become vegetarian electric car drivers with solar powered homes?

Telegraph.co.uk: Eating beef ‘is less green than driving’

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