Cheeseburgers: we love 'em.  In the United States we've been packin' in the beef at a rate 2-3 times greater than the rest of the planet.  But that's starting to change rapidly.

In 1961 the world's total "meat supply" was 71 millions tons.  Last year it was 284 millions tons and in the next 20 years it is expected to double again.  Holy moly!  I guess this is good news if you own a hamburger bun factory, but what does it mean for our planet?

Here's some quick facts:

• • Nearly one-third of all the usable land on Earth is used for livestock production.
• • One-fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions comes from livestock (from their butts! gross!)
• • If Americans reduced their meat consumption by 20% it would be the greenhouse gas equivalent to everyone switching to a Prius.
• • Three-quarters of all water quality problems in America's rivers and streams are attributed to livestock production.

Around the planet children die everyday from starvation and malnutrition.  In the United States meat consumption has doubled over the past 50 years and you don't have to look much further than the menu of a local fast food restaurant to see that we've been raising the bar.

This isn't a 'vegetarian' issue or a weight loss issue; it's an environmental one.  Our food choices have a direct impact on our land, our water and our air.  Of course, if we don't want to cut back on our meat consumption scientists are already working on alternatives to feed our need for meat:

"Longer term, it no longer seems lunacy to believe in the possibility of “meat without feet” — meat produced in vitro, by growing animal cells in a super-rich nutrient environment before being further manipulated into burgers and steaks."

I guess that would technically get around the whole animal cruelty thing, but it certainly doesn't sound very appetizing!

» The New York Times