Did you know that cows are one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases? The methane they expel in their flatulence goes into the atmosphere and works to warm our planet. In fact, according to the
BBC,
"even though it occurs in lower concentrations than carbon dioxide, it produces 21 times as much warming as CO2." That's an alarming statistic, especially considering that methane makes up
a whopping 20% the greenhouse gases released into the air.
Unfortunately, the continually growing demand for beef and dairy products means that farmers have no incentive to shift to more environmentally kind products.
But one company has decided to do what they can to make a difference.
Virgin, the U.K. based global airline says they will no longer serve beef on a number of their flights in an attempt to reduce greenhouse gases. The airline had already been experimenting with the idea by cutting beef from 50% of their flights and now they are ready to expand it.
While Virgin's move is bold, in size, they pale in comparison to the world's largest airline,
American. The industry goliath carries nearly
200 million passengers on around 2.5 million flights annually. Compare that to Virgin's
5.4 million passengers in 21,000 trips.
Imagine if American decided to drop beef from just half of their flights. The impact would be huge. That's why Care2 is asking American, the global leader in air travel, to also do their part to cut back on greenhouse gases and stop serving beef on their flights.
Help us get American to take action. Sign the petition.
Photo credit: Anneke_B
