1 00:00:35,835 --> 00:00:38,835 You know, the world's climate scientists tell us that... 2 00:00:39,105 --> 00:00:42,105 ...the highest safe level of emissions would be... 3 00:00:42,876 --> 00:00:45,876 ...around 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide... 4 00:00:46,613 --> 00:00:49,613 ...and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. We're already at 400. 5 00:00:52,685 --> 00:00:55,587 They tell us that the sort of safest we could hope to do... 6 00:00:55,588 --> 00:00:57,890 ...without having perilous implications... 7 00:00:57,891 --> 00:01:00,891 ...as far as drought, famine, human conflict, major species extinction... 8 00:01:03,029 --> 00:01:06,029 ...would be about a 2-degree Celsius increase in temperature. 9 00:01:07,367 --> 00:01:10,407 We're rapidly approaching that, and with all the built-in carbon dioxide... 10 00:01:12,072 --> 00:01:15,072 ...that's already in the atmosphere, we're easily going to exceed that. 11 00:01:15,875 --> 00:01:18,875 So on our watch, we are facing... 12 00:01:19,412 --> 00:01:22,412 ...the next major extinction of species on the earth... 13 00:01:23,083 --> 00:01:26,083 ...that we haven't seen since the time of the dinosaurs disappearing. 14 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,120 When whole countries go underwater because of sea-level rise... 15 00:01:30,623 --> 00:01:33,623 ...when whole countries find that there's so much drought... 16 00:01:33,626 --> 00:01:35,928 ...that they can't feed their population... 17 00:01:35,929 --> 00:01:38,564 ...and as a result, they need to desperately... 18 00:01:38,565 --> 00:01:41,533 ...migrate to another country or invade another country... 19 00:01:41,534 --> 00:01:44,534 I mean, we're gonna have climate wars in the future. 20 00:01:44,838 --> 00:01:46,872 And what about...? 21 00:01:46,873 --> 00:01:49,873 What about livestock and animal agriculture? 22 00:01:52,145 --> 00:01:55,145 Well, what about it? I mean- 23 00:02:24,077 --> 00:02:25,577 My name�s Kip. 24 00:02:25,578 --> 00:02:28,578 This is me. I had a clich� U.S.American childhood. 25 00:02:28,615 --> 00:02:31,116 My mom was a teacher. My dad was in the military. 26 00:02:31,117 --> 00:02:32,751 And I have one sister. 27 00:02:32,752 --> 00:02:34,520 I played all sports growing up... 28 00:02:34,521 --> 00:02:36,889 ...but I always loved the outdoors and camping. 29 00:02:36,890 --> 00:02:39,890 Life was simple, not a care in the world. 30 00:02:40,193 --> 00:02:43,193 And then this guy showed up. Like so many of us... 31 00:02:43,930 --> 00:02:46,970 ...I saw his film An Inconvenient Truth about the impacts of global warming. 32 00:02:47,634 --> 00:02:49,168 It scared the Emojis out of me. 33 00:02:49,169 --> 00:02:52,169 In Al Gore's film, he describes how Earth is in peril. 34 00:02:52,172 --> 00:02:55,172 Climate change stands to affect all life on this planet. 35 00:02:55,208 --> 00:02:57,609 From monster storms, raging wildfires... 36 00:02:57,610 --> 00:03:00,012 ...record droughts, ice caps melting... 37 00:03:00,013 --> 00:03:03,013 ...acidification of the oceans, to entire countries going underwater... 38 00:03:03,683 --> 00:03:06,683 ...that could all be caused by humans' demands on the Earth. 39 00:03:07,086 --> 00:03:09,955 With scientists warning unless we take drastic measures... 40 00:03:09,956 --> 00:03:13,236 ...to correct our environmental footprint, our time on this planet maybe limited... 41 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:17,160 ...to only 50 more years, I wanted to do everything I could to help. 42 00:03:19,766 --> 00:03:21,833 I made up my mind right then and there... 43 00:03:21,834 --> 00:03:24,834 ...to change how I lived and to do whatever I possibly could... 44 00:03:25,004 --> 00:03:27,539 ...to find away for all of us to live together... 45 00:03:27,540 --> 00:03:30,540 ...in balance with the planet, sustainably, forever. 46 00:03:30,977 --> 00:03:33,977 I started to do all the things Al told us to do. 47 00:03:34,113 --> 00:03:37,113 I became an OCE, obsessive-compulsive environmentalist. 48 00:03:38,251 --> 00:03:41,251 I separated the trash and recycling, I composted... 49 00:03:41,287 --> 00:03:43,822 ...changed the light bulbs, took short showers... 50 00:03:43,823 --> 00:03:46,823 ...brushed with the water off, turned off lights when leaving... 51 00:03:46,993 --> 00:03:49,861 ...and rode my bike instead of driving everywhere. 52 00:03:49,862 --> 00:03:52,862 But as the years went by, it seemed as if things were getting worse. 53 00:03:53,199 --> 00:03:56,279 I had to wonder, with all the continuing ecological crisis facing the planet... 54 00:03:57,604 --> 00:04:00,604 ...even if every single one of us adopted these conservation habits... 55 00:04:01,140 --> 00:04:04,140 ...was this really gonna be enough to save the world? 56 00:04:05,245 --> 00:04:08,245 It just seemed that there was something more to the story. 57 00:04:08,248 --> 00:04:11,248 I thought I was doing everything I could to help the planet. 58 00:04:11,884 --> 00:04:14,884 But then with one's friend's post everything changed. 59 00:04:17,357 --> 00:04:20,357 The post sent me to a report online published by the United Nations... 60 00:04:20,860 --> 00:04:23,829 ...stating that cows produce more greenhouse gases... 61 00:04:23,830 --> 00:04:26,830 ...than the entire transportation sector. 62 00:04:26,866 --> 00:04:29,866 This means that raising cattle produces more greenhouse gases... 63 00:04:30,036 --> 00:04:33,036 ...than all cars, trucks, trains, boats, planes combined. 64 00:04:33,906 --> 00:04:36,906 Thirteen percent compared to 18 percent for livestock. 65 00:04:37,143 --> 00:04:39,745 This is because cows produce a substantial amount... 66 00:04:39,746 --> 00:04:42,314 ...of methane from their digestive process. 67 00:04:42,315 --> 00:04:45,315 Methane gas from livestock is 25to 100 times... 68 00:04:45,718 --> 00:04:48,718 ...more destructive than carbon dioxide from vehicles. 69 00:04:48,755 --> 00:04:51,755 Here I'd been riding my bike everywhere to help reduce emissions. 70 00:04:52,025 --> 00:04:55,025 But it turns out there's more to climate change than just fossil fuels. 71 00:04:55,862 --> 00:04:58,862 I did more research. The U.N. along with other agencies reported... 72 00:05:00,233 --> 00:05:03,233 ...not only did livestock play a major role in global warming... 73 00:05:03,336 --> 00:05:06,204 ...it is also the leading cause of resource consumption... 74 00:05:06,205 --> 00:05:09,205 ...and environmental degradation destroying the planet today. 75 00:05:09,742 --> 00:05:12,077 How is it possible I wasn't aware of this? 76 00:05:12,078 --> 00:05:15,078 I thought this information would be in the environmental community. 77 00:05:15,882 --> 00:05:18,882 I went to the nation's largest environmental organizations' websites... 78 00:05:19,285 --> 00:05:21,420 350.org, Greenpeace, Sierra Club... 79 00:05:21,421 --> 00:05:24,421 ...Climate Reality, Rainforest Action Network, Amazon Watch... 80 00:05:24,424 --> 00:05:27,464 ...and was shocked to see they had virtually nothing on animal agriculture. 81 00:05:28,695 --> 00:05:30,195 What was going on? 82 00:05:30,196 --> 00:05:32,864 Why would they not have this information on there? 83 00:05:32,865 --> 00:05:36,026 It seemed the main focus for many groups was natural gas and oil production... 84 00:05:36,903 --> 00:05:39,903 ...with fracking being the latest hot issue, due to water usage and contamination. 85 00:05:40,006 --> 00:05:41,340 ...with fracking being the latest hot issue, due to water usage and contamination. 86 00:05:41,341 --> 00:05:44,341 Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas uses an incredible amount of water. 87 00:05:44,911 --> 00:05:48,231 A staggering 100 billion gallons of water is used every year in the United States. 88 00:05:49,982 --> 00:05:52,451 But when I compared this with animal agriculture... 89 00:05:52,452 --> 00:05:55,492 ...raising livestock just in the U.S. consumes 34 trillion gallons of water. 90 00:05:57,290 --> 00:06:00,411 And it turns out the methane emissions from both industries are nearly equal. 91 00:06:01,961 --> 00:06:04,961 Living in California, a state plagued by drought and water shortages... 92 00:06:06,132 --> 00:06:08,767 ...water use is a major concern for many of us. 93 00:06:08,768 --> 00:06:11,768 The average Californian uses about 1500 gallons per person per day. 94 00:06:14,874 --> 00:06:17,954 About half of that is related to the consumption of meat and dairy products. 95 00:06:19,178 --> 00:06:22,178 So meat and dairy products are incredibly water-intensive... 96 00:06:22,682 --> 00:06:25,682 ...in part because the animals are using very water-intensive grains. 97 00:06:27,286 --> 00:06:30,255 That's what they eat, and so... 98 00:06:30,256 --> 00:06:33,256 ...all of the water embedded in the grain and that the animal eats... 99 00:06:34,327 --> 00:06:37,129 ...essentially is considered part... 100 00:06:37,130 --> 00:06:40,130 ...of the virtual water footprint of that product. 101 00:06:40,266 --> 00:06:43,034 I found out that one quarter-pound hamburger requires... 102 00:06:43,035 --> 00:06:46,035 ...over 660 gallons of water to produce. 103 00:06:46,072 --> 00:06:49,007 Here I've been taking these short showers to save water... 104 00:06:49,008 --> 00:06:52,008 ...and to find out just eating one hamburger is the equivalent... 105 00:06:52,178 --> 00:06:54,813 ...of showering two entire months. 106 00:06:54,814 --> 00:06:57,449 So much attention is given to lowering home water use. 107 00:06:57,450 --> 00:07:00,450 Yet domestic water use is 5 percent of what is consumed in the U.S... 108 00:07:01,053 --> 00:07:03,789 ...versus 55 percent for animal agriculture. 109 00:07:03,790 --> 00:07:06,758 That's because it takes upwards of 2500 gallons of water... 110 00:07:06,759 --> 00:07:08,960 ...to produce 1 pound of beef. 111 00:07:08,961 --> 00:07:11,863 I went on the government's Department of Water Resources... 112 00:07:11,864 --> 00:07:14,904 ...Save Our Water campaign. It outlines behavior changes to conserve water. 113 00:07:15,401 --> 00:07:18,203 Like using low-flow shower heads, efficient toilets... 114 00:07:18,204 --> 00:07:21,204 ...water-saving appliances, and fix leaky faucets and sprinkler heads. 115 00:07:21,741 --> 00:07:24,009 But nothing about animal agriculture. 116 00:07:24,010 --> 00:07:26,745 When I added up all the government's recommendations... 117 00:07:26,746 --> 00:07:28,513 ...I was saving 47 gallons a day. 118 00:07:28,514 --> 00:07:31,514 But still that's not even close to the 660 gallons... 119 00:07:31,918 --> 00:07:33,985 ...of water for just one burger. 120 00:07:33,986 --> 00:07:36,986 I wanted to see if I could talk with the government about this. 121 00:07:37,089 --> 00:07:40,089 Just calling to see if we could schedule an interview. 122 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:43,762 Yeah, that would be good. 123 00:07:43,763 --> 00:07:46,763 What does your schedule look like this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon? 124 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,000 - Tomorrow afternoon. - Tomorrow afternoon could be good. 125 00:07:57,543 --> 00:08:00,623 For the urban environment, a lot of things can be done. Indoors, you know... 126 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:04,280 ...using low-flow shower heads, low-flow faucets... 127 00:08:05,818 --> 00:08:08,286 ...efficient toilets... 128 00:08:08,287 --> 00:08:11,287 ...efficient water-using appliances. 129 00:08:13,059 --> 00:08:16,059 All of those are really good areas that can help quite a lot. 130 00:08:16,996 --> 00:08:19,996 But the biggest water savings is from outdoors. 131 00:08:20,933 --> 00:08:23,933 We have to be mindful of the way we use water. 132 00:08:26,606 --> 00:08:29,274 We have to use it efficiently, protect its quality... 133 00:08:29,275 --> 00:08:32,275 ...and be good stewards of the environment that depend on water. 134 00:08:33,045 --> 00:08:36,045 And checking the sprinklers. A lot of times you get a lot of leaks... 135 00:08:36,582 --> 00:08:39,582 ...and broken sprinklers and things like that that waste water. 136 00:08:42,388 --> 00:08:45,388 Those are the areas that there is a lot of room for conservation. 137 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,360 It kept on coming up a lot, was animal agriculture. 138 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:57,600 Can you comment on that at all, about how much that plays a role... 139 00:09:00,006 --> 00:09:03,006 ...in water consumption and pollution? 140 00:09:08,180 --> 00:09:11,180 That's-I mean, that's not my area. 141 00:09:13,152 --> 00:09:16,152 There's one study that found that 1 pound of beef... 142 00:09:18,491 --> 00:09:21,126 ...2500 gallons of water. 143 00:09:21,127 --> 00:09:23,028 - Yeah. - Yeah. 144 00:09:23,029 --> 00:09:26,029 Eggs are 477 gallons of water. And cheese, almost 900 gallons. 145 00:09:28,367 --> 00:09:31,367 I mean, why isn't it on Save Our Water? 146 00:09:31,904 --> 00:09:34,406 It's kind of like if you went to someone's house... 147 00:09:34,407 --> 00:09:37,407 ...and my neighbour has a faucet, you know, dripping. 148 00:09:38,611 --> 00:09:41,611 And then you see this giant hose turned full-blast... 149 00:09:42,548 --> 00:09:45,548 ...until 660 gallons of water are shooting out into the street... 150 00:09:47,987 --> 00:09:50,388 ...flooding the entire street. 151 00:09:50,389 --> 00:09:53,389 I think I would say, "Hey, you know, turn that off, please." 152 00:09:54,660 --> 00:09:57,529 Seems like it's a huge thing that we could be doing... 153 00:09:57,530 --> 00:10:00,530 ...by far more than anything else. 154 00:10:00,566 --> 00:10:03,566 Just, like, if that is really the case. 155 00:10:03,703 --> 00:10:06,605 I think that the water footprint... 156 00:10:06,606 --> 00:10:09,606 ...of animal husbandry is greater than other activities. 157 00:10:10,409 --> 00:10:13,409 There's no ifs, ands or buts about it. 158 00:10:14,213 --> 00:10:15,680 That would be really powerful. 159 00:10:15,681 --> 00:10:19,001 Rather than waiting till we're in a drought, what do you think about starting now? 160 00:10:19,986 --> 00:10:22,487 And say to whoever's in charge of Save Our Water: 161 00:10:22,488 --> 00:10:25,488 "Hey, let's start encouraging people to eat less meat now... 162 00:10:25,925 --> 00:10:28,925 ...because these studies are coming out"? 163 00:10:29,228 --> 00:10:32,197 - I don't think that'll happen. - Why? 164 00:10:32,198 --> 00:10:35,198 - I don't think that'll happen. - Why? 165 00:10:36,035 --> 00:10:39,035 Because of the way government is set up here. 166 00:10:40,172 --> 00:10:43,172 That's interesting, though. Why, though? 167 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:50,480 One is water management and the other is behavior change. 168 00:10:51,751 --> 00:10:54,185 Behavior of taking showers... 169 00:10:54,186 --> 00:10:57,186 ...and not watering your lawn and doing all that, that's behavior. 170 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:03,760 Yeah. 171 00:11:04,463 --> 00:11:07,463 Clearly the government did not want to talk about this issue. 172 00:11:07,466 --> 00:11:09,000 Their inability to answer... 173 00:11:09,001 --> 00:11:12,162 ...along with the organization's silence on the topic of animal agriculture... 174 00:11:13,072 --> 00:11:15,473 ...made it seem something more was going on. 175 00:11:15,474 --> 00:11:15,974 I did more investigating on the impacts of livestock... 176 00:11:15,975 --> 00:11:18,410 I did more investigating on the impacts of livestock... 177 00:11:18,411 --> 00:11:21,411 ...and found out the situation was actually worse than I'd thought. 178 00:11:21,647 --> 00:11:24,647 In 2009, two advisors from the World Bank released... 179 00:11:25,117 --> 00:11:27,652 ...an analysis on human-induced greenhouse gases... 180 00:11:27,653 --> 00:11:30,653 ...finding that animal agriculture was responsible not for 18 percent... 181 00:11:31,757 --> 00:11:34,797 ...as the U.N. stated, but was actually 51 percent of all greenhouse gases. 182 00:11:36,729 --> 00:11:38,329 Fifty-one percent. 183 00:11:38,330 --> 00:11:40,999 Yet all we hear about is burning fossil fuels. 184 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,000 This devastating figure is due to clear-cutting rainforests for grazing... 185 00:11:44,503 --> 00:11:47,105 ...respiration, and all the waste animals produced. 186 00:11:47,106 --> 00:11:50,106 This makes animal agriculture the number one contributor... 187 00:11:50,142 --> 00:11:52,243 ...to human-caused climate change. 188 00:11:52,244 --> 00:11:55,244 But not only that, I found out raising animals for food consumes... 189 00:11:55,514 --> 00:11:58,514 ...a third of all the planet's freshwater... 190 00:11:58,718 --> 00:12:01,718 ...occupies up to 45 percent of the Earth's land... 191 00:12:02,321 --> 00:12:05,321 ...is responsible for up to 91 percent of Amazon destruction... 192 00:12:06,225 --> 00:12:09,127 ...is a leading cause of species extinction... 193 00:12:09,128 --> 00:12:11,162 ...ocean "dead zones"... 194 00:12:11,163 --> 00:12:14,163 ...and habitat destruction. 195 00:12:15,301 --> 00:12:17,602 Yet the world's largest environmental groups... 196 00:12:17,603 --> 00:12:20,603 ...that are supposed to be saving our world didn't mention this anywhere. 197 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,280 I had to speak with them to find out why they weren't addressing this issue. 198 00:12:26,112 --> 00:12:28,713 I sent off dozens of e-mails, made call after call... 199 00:12:28,714 --> 00:12:30,548 ...spent hours on hold. 200 00:12:30,549 --> 00:12:32,550 Days became weeks, weeks became months... 201 00:12:32,551 --> 00:12:35,551 ...and for some reason, no one wanted to talk to me about this. 202 00:12:35,821 --> 00:12:37,489 So bizarre. 203 00:12:37,490 --> 00:12:40,490 I supported these organizations for so long and now was met with silence. 204 00:12:41,761 --> 00:12:44,761 I was, however, able to connect with a handful of environmental authors... 205 00:12:45,397 --> 00:12:48,397 ...and advocates that were willing to address this issue. 206 00:12:48,567 --> 00:12:51,567 I took my old, trusty van "Super Blue" out of retirement and hit the road. 207 00:12:55,141 --> 00:12:56,407 So my calculations are... 208 00:12:56,408 --> 00:12:59,649 ...that without using any gas or oil or fuel ever again from this day forward... 209 00:13:04,150 --> 00:13:07,150 ...that we would still exceed our maximum carbon-equivalent... 210 00:13:07,153 --> 00:13:10,153 ...greenhouse gas emissions, the 565 gigatons, by the year 2030... 211 00:13:12,324 --> 00:13:15,324 ...without the electricity sector or energy sector even factored... 212 00:13:15,561 --> 00:13:18,561 ...in the equation, all simply by raising and eating livestock. 213 00:13:22,134 --> 00:13:25,134 You reduce methane emissions, the level in the atmosphere goes down... 214 00:13:25,437 --> 00:13:28,173 ...fairly quickly, within decades, as opposed to CO2... 215 00:13:28,174 --> 00:13:30,608 ...if you reduce the emissions to the atmosphere... 216 00:13:30,609 --> 00:13:33,609 ...you don't see a signal in the atmosphere for 100 years or so. 217 00:13:37,316 --> 00:13:40,517 The single largest contributor to every environmental ill known to humankind... 218 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,535 Cutting down the forest to graze animals... 219 00:15:04,536 --> 00:15:07,536 ...and to grow soybeans, genetically-engineered soybeans... 220 00:15:08,207 --> 00:15:11,207 ...to feed to the cows and pigs and chickens and factory-farmed fish. 221 00:15:14,813 --> 00:15:18,173 Ninety-one percent of the loss of rainforest in the Amazon area thus far to date... 222 00:15:18,817 --> 00:15:21,817 ...91 percent that's been destroyed is due to raising livestock. 223 00:15:24,556 --> 00:15:27,556 The lead cause of environmental destruction is animal agriculture. 224 00:15:27,693 --> 00:15:30,973 I just couldn't understand why the world's largest environmental organizations... 225 00:15:31,597 --> 00:15:34,957 ...weren't addressing this when their entire mission is to protect the environment. 226 00:15:35,601 --> 00:15:37,435 That's the thing, too, is they say: 227 00:15:37,436 --> 00:15:40,436 "Use less coal, ride your bike." What about "eat less meat"? 228 00:15:44,243 --> 00:15:46,911 I think they focus-grouped it and it's a political loser. 229 00:15:46,912 --> 00:15:49,912 Yeah, because they're membership organizations, you know, a lot of them. 230 00:15:50,716 --> 00:15:53,716 They're looking to maximize the number of people making contributions. 231 00:15:54,053 --> 00:15:57,053 And if they get identified as being anti-meat... 232 00:15:57,056 --> 00:15:59,757 ...or challenging people on their everyday habits... 233 00:15:59,758 --> 00:16:02,999 ...something that's so dear to people, that it will hurt with their fundraising. 234 00:16:06,799 --> 00:16:09,701 They do not want to address the primary driving cause... 235 00:16:09,702 --> 00:16:12,702 ...of environmental devastation, which is animal agriculture... 236 00:16:12,838 --> 00:16:15,473 ...because they're businesses. 237 00:16:15,474 --> 00:16:18,474 And they want to make sure that they have a reliable source of funding. 238 00:16:24,550 --> 00:16:27,385 I was invited to a meeting with Al Gore some years ago... 239 00:16:27,386 --> 00:16:30,547 ...made these methane arguments, and he pushed back. That's just his argument. 240 00:16:31,056 --> 00:16:34,056 "It's hard enough to get people to think about CO2. Don't confuse them." 241 00:16:37,329 --> 00:16:40,649 The problem with a lot of organizations that are focused and have a laser focus... 242 00:16:41,433 --> 00:16:44,433 ...don't go off message because they don't wanna piss off... 243 00:16:45,504 --> 00:16:48,504 ...another whole group of people that will make their lives difficult. 244 00:16:52,478 --> 00:16:55,478 Major environmental organizations don't tell you to do much... 245 00:16:55,481 --> 00:16:58,349 ...besides live your life the way you've been living it... 246 00:16:58,350 --> 00:17:00,618 ...but change a light bulb from time to time... 247 00:17:00,619 --> 00:17:02,987 ...drive less, use less plastic, recycle more. 248 00:17:02,988 --> 00:17:05,988 It's better for their fundraising and better for their profile... 249 00:17:06,558 --> 00:17:09,558 ...to create a victim-and-perpetrator sort of plotline. 250 00:17:12,664 --> 00:17:15,744 It's like when we talk about the fact that we have a dysfunctional family... 251 00:17:16,402 --> 00:17:19,402 ...and the father's an alcoholic, that's the one thing no one talks about. 252 00:17:19,905 --> 00:17:22,707 Everybody goes around that, and yet it's the one thing... 253 00:17:22,708 --> 00:17:25,708 ...that's causing the devastation in the relationships in the family... 254 00:17:26,478 --> 00:17:29,414 ...because no one wants to talk about it. 255 00:17:29,415 --> 00:17:31,416 How could these organizations not know? 256 00:17:31,417 --> 00:17:34,417 The issue is right in front of them. It's unmistakable at this point. 257 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:37,920 And just like these organizations, they're falling over themselves... 258 00:17:38,891 --> 00:17:41,891 ...to show the general public that climate change is human-caused. 259 00:17:42,895 --> 00:17:45,975 And in doing so, they completely fail to see what's right in front of them... 260 00:17:47,699 --> 00:17:50,699 ...that animal agriculture, raising and killing animals for food... 261 00:17:51,036 --> 00:17:54,036 ...is really what's killing the planet. 262 00:17:54,973 --> 00:17:57,973 That was it. No more e-mails, no more phone calls. I had enough. 263 00:17:58,644 --> 00:18:01,012 I realized if I wanted answers, I'd have to go... 264 00:18:01,013 --> 00:18:04,013 ...to these organizations' headquarters in person. 265 00:18:05,751 --> 00:18:07,151 - Hi, how's it going? - Good. 266 00:18:07,152 --> 00:18:10,152 We're doing a full-length feature documentary... 267 00:18:11,090 --> 00:18:14,090 ...and it's on sustainability and how animal agriculture plays a role. 268 00:18:15,994 --> 00:18:18,994 And we're seeing if we could talk to David Barre. 269 00:18:19,631 --> 00:18:21,399 - Barre? Okay. - Yeah. 270 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:24,601 - Do you have an appointment with him? - We've been trying for almost two months. 271 00:18:25,137 --> 00:18:28,137 We haven't even had one receptive e-mail or anything. 272 00:18:29,174 --> 00:18:32,295 - Seeing if we could just set something up. - Sure, let me... So let me just... 273 00:18:33,045 --> 00:18:35,179 They sent out their PR person instead. 274 00:18:35,180 --> 00:18:38,180 She refused to be filmed and told us to turn off the camera... 275 00:18:38,183 --> 00:18:40,918 ...but promised someone from their Rainforest, Ocean... 276 00:18:40,919 --> 00:18:43,919 ...and Climate Change Departments would all speak with us, finally. 277 00:18:46,959 --> 00:18:49,959 Next stop was to give Sierra Club a visit. 278 00:18:54,032 --> 00:18:57,032 They were a bit more receptive to me showing up at their doorstep. 279 00:18:57,603 --> 00:19:00,603 Hey, how's it going? 280 00:19:02,074 --> 00:19:04,942 With the climate change, what's the leading cause of that? 281 00:19:04,943 --> 00:19:07,943 Well, it's basically burning too many fossil fuels. 282 00:19:09,114 --> 00:19:12,114 You know, so coal, natural gas, oil. 283 00:19:13,252 --> 00:19:15,119 Tarsands, oil shale. 284 00:19:15,120 --> 00:19:18,120 All these new exotic fuels that are kind of hybrids between them. 285 00:19:18,757 --> 00:19:21,757 But that's basically what is loading up the atmosphere... 286 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,960 ...so we have this greenhouse effect where the heat is getting trapped... 287 00:19:25,564 --> 00:19:27,899 ...and the temperatures are soaring... 288 00:19:27,900 --> 00:19:30,900 ...at a rate that has never existed in the history of the Earth. 289 00:19:32,004 --> 00:19:34,071 And what about...? 290 00:19:34,072 --> 00:19:37,072 What about livestock and animal agriculture? 291 00:19:39,478 --> 00:19:41,512 Well, what about it? I mean... 292 00:20:46,144 --> 00:20:49,144 ...but I'm afraid we're not going to be able to help this time. 293 00:20:53,085 --> 00:20:55,353 Thanks again, and we wish you the best of luck." 294 00:20:55,354 --> 00:20:57,822 Greenpeace's response reminded me of the statistic... 295 00:20:57,823 --> 00:20:58,155 Greenpeace's response reminded me of the statistic... 296 00:20:58,156 --> 00:21:01,156 ...that 116,000 pounds of farm animal excrement... 297 00:21:01,193 --> 00:21:04,193 ...is produced every second in the United States alone. 298 00:21:04,329 --> 00:21:07,369 That is enough waste per year to cover every square foot of San Francisco... 299 00:21:08,567 --> 00:21:11,567 ...New York City, Tokyo, Paris... 300 00:21:12,671 --> 00:21:15,671 ...New Delhi, Berlin, Hong Kong, London... 301 00:21:15,907 --> 00:21:18,907 ...Rio De Janeiro, Delaware, Bali, Costa Rica, and Denmark combined. 302 00:21:22,781 --> 00:21:25,781 Livestock operations on land has caused, or created... 303 00:21:28,153 --> 00:21:30,655 ...more than 500 nitrogen-flooded dead zones... 304 00:21:30,656 --> 00:21:32,290 ...around the world in our oceans. 305 00:21:32,291 --> 00:21:35,291 Comprise more than 95,000 square miles of areas completely devoid of life. 306 00:21:36,795 --> 00:21:39,795 So any meaningful discussion about the state of our oceans... 307 00:21:40,332 --> 00:21:43,332 ...has to always begin by frank discussions... 308 00:21:44,903 --> 00:21:47,903 ...about land-based animal agriculture... 309 00:21:48,607 --> 00:21:51,607 ...which is not what our conservation groups- 310 00:21:51,743 --> 00:21:54,743 Oceana being the largest one in the world right now, the most influential. 311 00:21:55,414 --> 00:21:58,414 As well as others. That's not what is at the apex of their discussions. 312 00:21:59,184 --> 00:22:02,184 I went on my favorite ocean-protection organization's website... 313 00:22:02,287 --> 00:22:05,287 ...Surf rider Foundation, to see what they're doing about this. 314 00:22:05,290 --> 00:22:08,290 Mostly what I found were campaigns about plastic bags and trash... 315 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,760 ...but nothing about animal agriculture. 316 00:22:13,899 --> 00:22:16,834 What is the number one coastal water quality-issue polluter? 317 00:22:16,835 --> 00:22:19,704 Like-? Yeah, I mean, a lot of it- 318 00:22:19,705 --> 00:22:22,705 It's actually- We call it, like, the "toxic cocktail." 319 00:22:23,175 --> 00:22:26,010 Because it really is this sort of diffuse source. 320 00:22:26,011 --> 00:22:29,051 So it's, you know, heavy metal from tires and brakes and cars, heavy metals. 321 00:22:31,650 --> 00:22:33,451 It is these herbicides and pesticides. 322 00:22:33,452 --> 00:22:36,452 It's really just kind of picking up everything we leave on the ground... 323 00:22:38,223 --> 00:22:41,223 ...and collecting it together and pushing it out into the ocean. 324 00:22:41,326 --> 00:22:44,326 So it's hard to actually target, like, one thing. 325 00:22:44,363 --> 00:22:47,363 When we're doing our research on this particular one, and run off... 326 00:22:48,467 --> 00:22:51,467 ...just kind of increasingly as we're interviewing more and more people... 327 00:22:52,170 --> 00:22:55,170 ...it keeps coming up, animal agriculture, as being... 328 00:22:56,174 --> 00:22:59,174 And we read animal agriculture as being the number one water polluter... 329 00:23:00,879 --> 00:23:03,013 ...considerably by more than any other... 330 00:23:03,014 --> 00:23:06,014 Yeah, that's interesting.I guess it depends on the regions that you focus on. 331 00:23:06,852 --> 00:23:09,852 Like the urban areas, like where we are here in Southern California... 332 00:23:12,491 --> 00:23:15,491 ...we don't see that, because there's not a lot of agricultural farms... 333 00:23:16,061 --> 00:23:18,162 ...but if you look in the mid-Atlantic... 334 00:23:18,163 --> 00:23:20,831 ...Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, that region... 335 00:23:20,832 --> 00:23:23,832 ...I know there's a lot of poultry farms and a lot of hog farms... 336 00:23:24,770 --> 00:23:27,037 ...and it's a huge waste issue. 337 00:23:27,038 --> 00:23:30,038 I was surprised that not only did they not focus on farm run off... 338 00:23:30,409 --> 00:23:32,843 ...but they also didn't mention any campaigns... 339 00:23:32,844 --> 00:23:35,012 ...about how our oceans are in near-collapse. 340 00:23:35,013 --> 00:23:38,013 The U.N. reported that three-quarters of the world's fisheries... 341 00:23:38,183 --> 00:23:41,183 ...are overexploited, fully exploited, or significantly depleted... 342 00:23:42,220 --> 00:23:43,854 ...due to overfishing. 343 00:23:43,855 --> 00:23:46,895 Oceans are under siege like never before. Marine environments are in trouble. 344 00:23:49,828 --> 00:23:52,096 If we don't wake up and do something about it... 345 00:23:52,097 --> 00:23:54,398 ...we'll see fishless oceans bytheyear2048. 346 00:23:54,399 --> 00:23:57,399 That's the prediction from scientists. 347 00:23:59,337 --> 00:24:02,337 When people look at fishing, some times they only look at the animals... 348 00:24:02,874 --> 00:24:05,874 ...who are actually consumed by humans, so we don't necessarily look... 349 00:24:06,278 --> 00:24:09,079 ...at all the animals who are caught in the drift nets... 350 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:12,241 ...all the other animals who are killed in the industry. And when you look at... 351 00:24:13,819 --> 00:24:16,899 Even the shrimping industry has done a lot to devastate the planet as well... 352 00:24:17,789 --> 00:24:20,057 ...in terms of breaking down natural barriers... 353 00:24:20,058 --> 00:24:22,326 ...that we have to protect them, the islands. 354 00:24:22,327 --> 00:24:25,327 We're at over28 billion animals were pulled out of the ocean last year. 355 00:24:29,367 --> 00:24:32,367 They're never given a chance to recover. They don't multiply quickly. 356 00:24:32,804 --> 00:24:35,539 They don't come back. We're not giving them an opportunity. 357 00:24:35,540 --> 00:24:37,475 The oceans are in complete collapse. 358 00:24:37,476 --> 00:24:40,476 The large fish species are nearing extinction. 359 00:24:41,213 --> 00:24:43,814 The way fishing is done today, to feed the demand... 360 00:24:43,815 --> 00:24:46,815 ...for90 million tons offish, is primarily through massive fish nets. 361 00:24:48,253 --> 00:24:51,253 For every single pound offish caught, there is up to 5 pounds... 362 00:24:51,523 --> 00:24:53,958 ...of untargeted species trapped. 363 00:24:53,959 --> 00:24:56,959 Such as dolphins, whales, sea turtles and sharks, known as bi-kill. 364 00:24:59,464 --> 00:25:02,066 If we're to imagine this same practice happening... 365 00:25:02,067 --> 00:25:04,602 ...on the African savannah, targeting gazelle... 366 00:25:04,603 --> 00:25:07,438 ...but in the process scooping up every single lion... 367 00:25:07,439 --> 00:25:09,507 ...giraffe, ostrich and elephant... 368 00:25:09,508 --> 00:25:11,842 ...nobody would stand for it. 369 00:25:11,843 --> 00:25:14,843 Yet this is what is happening in our oceans every single day. 370 00:25:18,316 --> 00:25:21,085 Between 40 and 50 million sharks each year are killed... 371 00:25:21,086 --> 00:25:24,021 ...in fishing lines and fishing nets as bi-kill. 372 00:25:24,022 --> 00:25:26,457 Then their fins might be cut off, or not cut off... 373 00:25:26,458 --> 00:25:29,458 ...but they're caught initially as bi-kill, and it's from fishing. 374 00:25:32,297 --> 00:25:35,297 It's from fishing in a sustainable manner, in many cases... 375 00:25:36,835 --> 00:25:39,835 ...for fish that are labeled "sustainable" by, for instance, Oceana... 376 00:25:40,972 --> 00:25:43,874 ...and the sustainable-certified organizations. 377 00:25:43,875 --> 00:25:46,875 So my thought is, why would we want to stop at banning shark-fin soup... 378 00:25:48,613 --> 00:25:50,481 ...if you're concerned about sharks? 379 00:25:50,482 --> 00:25:53,482 Which all these organizations are, and most of the public at large is now. 380 00:25:54,419 --> 00:25:57,419 If we really are concerned about sharks, we would ban fishing. 381 00:25:57,489 --> 00:26:00,489 I went on the world's largest ocean-conservation group's website... 382 00:26:00,859 --> 00:26:03,160 ...Oceana, to see what they're doing about this. 383 00:26:03,161 --> 00:26:06,161 On their site, along with a TED Talk by CEO Andy Sharpless... 384 00:26:06,464 --> 00:26:09,199 ...I was astounded to read they actually recommend... 385 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:12,200 ...that one of the best ways to help fish is to eat fish. 386 00:26:12,571 --> 00:26:15,339 With the world's fish population in near-collapse... 387 00:26:15,340 --> 00:26:18,340 ...this seems like saying the best way to help endangered pandas... 388 00:26:18,543 --> 00:26:19,910 ...is to eat pandas. 389 00:26:19,911 --> 00:26:22,079 I couldn't understand how Oceana could say... 390 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:25,080 ...we could remove close to 100 million tons offish per year... 391 00:26:25,617 --> 00:26:28,617 ...and that could somehow be sustainable and good for our oceans. 392 00:26:29,387 --> 00:26:32,387 Many of the species that are nearing extinction have done so... 393 00:26:33,491 --> 00:26:36,491 ...been ravaged and become nearly extinct, in a declining fashion... 394 00:26:40,999 --> 00:26:43,400 ...and haven't recovered on the watch of Oceana... 395 00:26:43,401 --> 00:26:46,337 ...and on the watch of Marine Stewardship Council... 396 00:26:46,338 --> 00:26:49,338 ...and very much on the watch of Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. 397 00:26:50,241 --> 00:26:53,321 I mention in a lecture, they're aptly named, because that's what they're doing. 398 00:26:54,112 --> 00:26:57,112 They're sort of watching this happen instead of aggressively halting it. 399 00:27:00,585 --> 00:27:03,585 According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization... 400 00:27:06,458 --> 00:27:09,778 ...roughly three-quarters of all fisheries are either fully exploited or over exploited. 401 00:27:10,595 --> 00:27:13,595 So there's really not a whole lot offish stocks out there... 402 00:27:14,633 --> 00:27:17,633 ...that you might consider at healthy levels for the ecosystem. 403 00:27:19,938 --> 00:27:22,938 Watching Andy's TED Talk about feeding the world... 404 00:27:24,442 --> 00:27:27,442 ...in 1988, fish catch, as you mention, peaked at 85 million tons. 405 00:27:29,114 --> 00:27:32,114 How is it possible that we can sustainably catch 100 million tons by 2050... 406 00:27:34,986 --> 00:27:37,986 ...regardless if it's in a farm or if it's in the ocean? 407 00:27:39,991 --> 00:27:42,259 If for every pound offish you're taking out... 408 00:27:42,260 --> 00:27:45,260 ...you're essentially taking out 5 pounds of wild fish... 409 00:27:45,430 --> 00:27:48,430 ...no matter whether it's a pond or it's in the ocean... 410 00:27:50,168 --> 00:27:53,168 ...how can that be sustainable? 411 00:27:58,143 --> 00:28:00,244 The ultimate question, right... 412 00:28:00,245 --> 00:28:03,245 ...is that there is a tremendous amount of natural production... 413 00:28:05,283 --> 00:28:08,283 ...that is, you know, basically coming out of the oceans all the time. 414 00:28:10,155 --> 00:28:13,316 So we have major-A massive amount of upwelling from our ocean conveyer belt... 415 00:28:15,060 --> 00:28:18,060 ...that's bringing up ancient, thousand-year-old nutrients... 416 00:28:19,364 --> 00:28:22,364 ...and our ecosystems a returning that into fish. 417 00:28:22,567 --> 00:28:25,169 Yes, they're eating each other and you're losing... 418 00:28:25,170 --> 00:28:28,170 ...some of that production every step up in the food chain... 419 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:30,107 ...but you get more every year. 420 00:28:30,108 --> 00:28:33,108 You can fish and take some out, and next year there will be more. 421 00:28:34,446 --> 00:28:37,486 And if we do that right, without ultimately hitting the fundamental driver... 422 00:28:39,384 --> 00:28:42,384 ...it's sort of like living off the interest, right? 423 00:28:42,454 --> 00:28:45,454 As long as you don't bring your principal down, right... 424 00:28:46,091 --> 00:28:49,212 ...if you invest in something, as long as you don't hit into that principal... 425 00:28:49,761 --> 00:28:53,081 ...your principal remains high, you could potentially live off the interest forever. 426 00:28:53,798 --> 00:28:55,566 That's the basic idea with fish. 427 00:28:55,567 --> 00:28:58,567 With our population right now, what we're doing... 428 00:28:59,571 --> 00:29:02,571 ...if it's 75-percent depleted, the fish is now depleted... 429 00:29:03,508 --> 00:29:06,508 And, you know, it's a good analogy with money. 430 00:29:06,745 --> 00:29:09,745 We're not living off our interest, we're in extreme debt. 431 00:29:10,181 --> 00:29:13,181 And if our population, who's trying to live as a family... 432 00:29:14,586 --> 00:29:17,586 ...on the same amount of money, and it's increasing 35 percent... 433 00:29:18,823 --> 00:29:21,492 - ...to 9 billion people... - Right. 434 00:29:21,493 --> 00:29:24,493 ...Isn't it just, "Hey, we gotta stop spending money"? 435 00:29:24,829 --> 00:29:26,497 - Yeah. - "Stop eating fish." 436 00:29:26,498 --> 00:29:29,498 Well, if you could bring the principal back. 437 00:29:31,736 --> 00:29:34,538 Fishing of any type is depleting not only the species... 438 00:29:34,539 --> 00:29:37,899 ...but you get into this serial depletion where one fish species will be minimized... 439 00:29:38,610 --> 00:29:41,610 ...and the fishing industry for that fishery will move onto the next species. 440 00:29:43,615 --> 00:29:46,615 It's called serial depletion. It's aptly named. 441 00:29:47,652 --> 00:29:49,653 In the process, the fish are being lost. 442 00:29:49,654 --> 00:29:52,654 Not only the species is being lost, but the next in line is being lost. 443 00:29:54,359 --> 00:29:57,359 And then the mechanism is still extremely destructive. 444 00:29:57,862 --> 00:30:00,862 So they're losing the fish species, but it needs to be kept in mind... 445 00:30:01,432 --> 00:30:04,432 ...they're also destroying habitat. 446 00:30:06,104 --> 00:30:08,572 They came up with this term "sustainable fishing"... 447 00:30:08,573 --> 00:30:10,707 ...to make us feel good about eating fish... 448 00:30:10,708 --> 00:30:13,708 ...and continuing to take fish out of the oceans... 449 00:30:13,778 --> 00:30:16,380 ...when, in fact, it's Sea Shepherd's position... 450 00:30:16,381 --> 00:30:19,381 ...that there is no such thing as sustainable fishing. 451 00:30:21,586 --> 00:30:24,586 Fishing is not a sustainable protein source for the feeding of the planet. 452 00:30:27,659 --> 00:30:30,659 For the people on the planet, it's just not. 453 00:30:32,230 --> 00:30:35,471 People don't wanna hear it. That makes them feel like they have to take action... 454 00:30:36,167 --> 00:30:38,902 ...stop doing something, and a lot of people don't want to. 455 00:30:38,903 --> 00:30:42,104 They don't put it out there, because it's uncomfortable to tell people what to do. 456 00:30:43,408 --> 00:30:46,143 But we're at a point where we all have to be cognizant. 457 00:30:46,144 --> 00:30:49,144 And we have to realize and take an action. 458 00:30:49,814 --> 00:30:51,882 Our founder, Captain Watson, likes to say: 459 00:30:51,883 --> 00:30:54,883 "If the oceans die, we die." That's not a tagline. That's the truth. 460 00:30:55,286 --> 00:30:58,286 Perhaps the only other ecosystem that is being destroyed... 461 00:30:58,289 --> 00:31:01,289 ...at such a rapid rate are the world's rainforests. 462 00:31:01,793 --> 00:31:04,793 Our global rainforests are essentially the planet's lungs. 463 00:31:04,963 --> 00:31:07,963 They breathe in CO2 and exhale oxygen. 464 00:31:08,266 --> 00:31:11,266 An acre of rain forest is cleared every second. 465 00:31:11,836 --> 00:31:14,836 And the leading cause is to graze animals and grow their feed crops. 466 00:31:16,608 --> 00:31:19,608 That is essentially an entire football field cleared every single second. 467 00:31:21,613 --> 00:31:23,947 And it is estimated that every day... 468 00:31:23,948 --> 00:31:26,948 ...close to 100 plant, animal, and insect species are lost... 469 00:31:27,919 --> 00:31:30,919 ...due to rainforest destruction. 470 00:31:44,802 --> 00:31:47,802 What is the absolute leading cause of rain forest destruction? 471 00:31:50,675 --> 00:31:53,477 Human intervention into rainforests is the leading cause. 472 00:31:53,478 --> 00:31:56,478 And so it's either for logging or it's for agribusiness. 473 00:31:56,547 --> 00:31:59,283 That's when you're looking at the top global drivers... 474 00:31:59,284 --> 00:32:02,284 ...it will vary a bit by the rainforest that you're talking about... 475 00:32:02,654 --> 00:32:05,654 ...but the way that we're choosing to use these natural resources... 476 00:32:06,424 --> 00:32:09,424 ...on a large industrial scale is the leading driver. 477 00:32:11,329 --> 00:32:13,263 When I went on R.A.N.'s website... 478 00:32:13,264 --> 00:32:16,264 ...I couldn't believe I didn't see anything about cattle. 479 00:32:16,668 --> 00:32:19,603 But I did see they had a large campaign against palm oil. 480 00:32:19,604 --> 00:32:22,845 Palm oil plantations cause tremendous deforestation in the Indonesian rainforest. 481 00:32:23,942 --> 00:32:27,222 It is estimated that palm oil is responsible for26 million acres being cleared... 482 00:32:29,547 --> 00:32:32,547 ...though compared to livestock and their feed crops... 483 00:32:32,750 --> 00:32:35,750 ...they were responsible for136 million acres of rainforest lost to date. 484 00:32:38,323 --> 00:32:41,323 But on their website, I was shocked to find cattle was not included... 485 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:44,428 ...as one of their four main key issues. 486 00:32:44,429 --> 00:32:47,429 Instead they focused on palm, pulp and paper, coal, and tar sands? 487 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:51,800 How could they not have the leading cause of rain forest destruction? 488 00:32:52,036 --> 00:32:55,036 I had to wonder, why focus on fossil fuels and not cattle? 489 00:32:55,974 --> 00:32:58,974 Ls it more fossil fuels, or is it more animal agriculture? 490 00:33:00,345 --> 00:33:02,646 I don't know why we would do a one-or-the-other. 491 00:33:02,647 --> 00:33:05,647 I'm just wondering, what more is it? 492 00:33:06,084 --> 00:33:08,552 I don't necessarily know what it is. 493 00:33:08,553 --> 00:33:11,553 Could the executive director of one of the world's largest... 494 00:33:11,823 --> 00:33:14,823 ...rainforest protection groups honestly not know what was going on? 495 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,760 Or even worse, were they hiding it on purpose? And if so, why? 496 00:33:19,831 --> 00:33:22,399 I went to Amazon Watch to see if they would say... 497 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:25,400 ...what the leading cause of rain forest destruction truly is. 498 00:33:28,373 --> 00:33:31,373 The most biologically and culturally diverse place on the planet... 499 00:33:31,576 --> 00:33:33,477 ...is under massive attack right now. 500 00:33:33,478 --> 00:33:36,478 The Amazon rainforest itself could be gone in the matter of the next 10years. 501 00:33:38,883 --> 00:33:41,883 What is the leading cause of rain forest destruction? 502 00:33:43,888 --> 00:33:46,888 The leading cause of rain forest destruction... 503 00:33:51,529 --> 00:33:52,929 ...I would say... 504 00:33:52,930 --> 00:33:55,930 Well, just to put it in the context of what Amazon Watch works on... 505 00:33:57,769 --> 00:34:00,769 ...there's many, many drivers of deforestation, as we call them... 506 00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:05,440 ...many different reasons and ways that rainforests are destroyed. 507 00:34:07,345 --> 00:34:10,345 The main-The ones that cause the most damage... 508 00:34:10,415 --> 00:34:13,415 ...and are the most wide spread are mega projects... 509 00:34:14,619 --> 00:34:17,619 ...such as oil and gas pipelines, such as mining projects... 510 00:34:19,457 --> 00:34:22,359 ...such as mega dam projects. We're not talking about... 511 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:24,861 I felt like I was going in circles with these groups. 512 00:34:24,862 --> 00:34:27,862 As if I were stuck in some strange "cowspiracy" twilight zone... 513 00:34:27,965 --> 00:34:30,033 ...where no one could talk about cows. 514 00:34:30,034 --> 00:34:32,936 I couldn't believe these organizations just wouldn't say... 515 00:34:32,937 --> 00:34:35,937 ...what the leading cause of rain forest destruction truly is. 516 00:34:36,407 --> 00:34:39,376 I had to ask one more time. 517 00:34:39,377 --> 00:34:42,377 It's hard to say what is the leading cause of deforestation of the Amazon... 518 00:34:44,148 --> 00:34:47,148 ...because they're all destructive, oil and gas, mining, dams, agriculture. 519 00:34:49,454 --> 00:34:52,454 But in terms of land use, in terms of the amount of land... 520 00:34:53,991 --> 00:34:56,991 ...that is destroyed by... 521 00:35:01,599 --> 00:35:04,760 When we talk about in comparison, all those different causes of deforestation... 522 00:35:06,637 --> 00:35:09,637 ...what is causing the most trees to fall, for example... 523 00:35:13,478 --> 00:35:16,478 ...I think it would definitely be agriculture. 524 00:35:16,681 --> 00:35:19,681 Unfortunately one of the biggest causes of deforestation... 525 00:35:23,221 --> 00:35:26,156 ...definitely in the Brazilian Amazon, is agribusiness. 526 00:35:26,157 --> 00:35:29,157 Cattle grazing and soy production, in particular. 527 00:35:30,995 --> 00:35:33,029 This is really what's going on. 528 00:35:33,030 --> 00:35:35,699 Why do you think that's...? 529 00:35:35,700 --> 00:35:38,700 Like, no one at Greenpeace, or no one's really saying the whole story. 530 00:35:40,805 --> 00:35:43,805 The whole story about the main cause of deforestation? 531 00:35:44,509 --> 00:35:47,509 Yeah. 532 00:35:47,879 --> 00:35:50,447 You've brought up some really good points about... 533 00:35:50,448 --> 00:35:53,150 ...why isn't anybody doing anything about this? 534 00:35:53,151 --> 00:35:56,151 And I think in Brazil, in particular, when we look at, you know... 535 00:35:57,221 --> 00:36:00,221 ...what happened after the Forest Code was passed... 536 00:36:00,224 --> 00:36:03,304 ...and people who were standing up against the lobbyists and the interests... 537 00:36:04,629 --> 00:36:07,669 ...the special interests, the cattle industry, the agribusiness industry... 538 00:36:08,533 --> 00:36:11,533 ...what was happening to them? People who were speaking out got killed. 539 00:36:12,136 --> 00:36:15,136 And if you look at, you know, Z Carlos, you look at Claudio... 540 00:36:15,940 --> 00:36:18,940 People who were putting themselves out there... 541 00:36:19,143 --> 00:36:22,143 ...and saying cattle ranching, you know, is destroying the Amazon... 542 00:36:24,982 --> 00:36:27,982 ...a lot of those people who really put themselves out there... 543 00:36:27,985 --> 00:36:30,985 And look at Dorothy Stang, you know, the nun who lived out in Para... 544 00:36:31,989 --> 00:36:34,989 ...who was killed. 545 00:36:35,493 --> 00:36:38,493 A lot of people will speak up. A lot of people just keep their mouths shut... 546 00:36:39,096 --> 00:36:42,096 ...because they don't wanna be the next one with the bullet to their head. 547 00:36:45,670 --> 00:36:47,771 Sister Dorothy Stang was a U.S.-born nun... 548 00:36:47,772 --> 00:36:50,207 ...living in the heart of the Brazilian rainforest. 549 00:36:50,208 --> 00:36:52,842 Her life's work was to protect the Amazon. 550 00:36:52,843 --> 00:36:55,843 She spoke out openly against the destruction of rain forest... 551 00:36:55,846 --> 00:36:58,048 ...from cattle ranching for years. 552 00:36:58,049 --> 00:37:01,049 Walking home one night, she was brutally gunned down... 553 00:37:01,185 --> 00:37:04,185 ...at point-blank range by a hired gun from the cattle industry. 554 00:37:23,107 --> 00:37:25,775 After Greenpeace's initial denial for an interview... 555 00:37:25,776 --> 00:37:28,278 ...I wrote again, begging they reconsider. 556 00:37:28,279 --> 00:37:31,279 Greenpeace got back again, and said again: 557 00:37:32,683 --> 00:37:35,683 "I'm afraid we've explored the options here in terms of helping you... 558 00:37:36,787 --> 00:37:39,787 ...and are not going to be able to be involved this time. 559 00:37:41,259 --> 00:37:43,860 You mentioned you were also speaking to Oceana. 560 00:37:43,861 --> 00:37:46,730 I'm sure they'll be able to give you some great quotes... 561 00:37:46,731 --> 00:37:48,665 ...about ocean-related issues. 562 00:37:48,666 --> 00:37:51,666 Thanks again for thinking of us." 563 00:37:52,203 --> 00:37:53,770 Unbelievable. 564 00:37:53,771 --> 00:37:56,006 With Greenpeace unwilling to be interviewed... 565 00:37:56,007 --> 00:37:58,275 ...I had to find a different avenue for answers. 566 00:37:58,276 --> 00:38:01,276 There's something really fishy going on over there. 567 00:38:01,579 --> 00:38:04,347 Fortunately I found a former Greenpeace board of director... 568 00:38:04,348 --> 00:38:07,348 ...who now speaks openly about the industry. 569 00:38:10,288 --> 00:38:13,688 Environmental organizations, like other organizations, aren't telling you the truth... 570 00:38:14,592 --> 00:38:17,060 ...about what the world needs from us as a species. 571 00:38:17,061 --> 00:38:20,061 It's so frustrating when the information is right before their eyes. 572 00:38:21,065 --> 00:38:24,065 It's documented in peer-reviewed papers and journals. 573 00:38:25,236 --> 00:38:27,604 It's there for every body to see. 574 00:38:27,605 --> 00:38:30,605 But the environmental organizations are refusing to act. 575 00:38:32,076 --> 00:38:34,077 Nowhere do you find in their policies... 576 00:38:34,078 --> 00:38:37,078 ...and nowhere do you find in the Greenpeace mission... 577 00:38:37,181 --> 00:38:39,616 ...that diet is important... 578 00:38:39,617 --> 00:38:42,617 ...that animal agriculture is the problem. 579 00:38:43,821 --> 00:38:46,756 They are refusing, like other environmental organizations... 580 00:38:46,757 --> 00:38:48,892 ...to look at the issue. 581 00:38:48,893 --> 00:38:51,893 The environmental community is failing us and they're failing ecosystems. 582 00:38:54,932 --> 00:38:57,932 And it's so frustrating to see them do this. 583 00:39:02,807 --> 00:39:05,807 "NRDC, the Earth's best defense." 584 00:39:06,010 --> 00:39:09,010 All right, so here they actually do have a few things... 585 00:39:10,848 --> 00:39:13,848 ...on animal agriculture. 586 00:39:17,922 --> 00:39:20,922 The leading cause of environmental degradation is too much pollution... 587 00:39:22,893 --> 00:39:25,893 ...and too many engines churning too fast... 588 00:39:28,132 --> 00:39:31,132 ...in too many places around the globe. 589 00:39:31,335 --> 00:39:33,903 Late in 2009, World watch reported... 590 00:39:33,904 --> 00:39:36,904 ...that livestock causes 51 percent of green house gas emissions... 591 00:39:38,175 --> 00:39:40,243 ...and transportation's around 13. 592 00:39:40,244 --> 00:39:43,244 And on the low end, the U.N. was around 18 to 30... 593 00:39:44,415 --> 00:39:47,415 ...which is more than all transportation all put together. 594 00:39:48,786 --> 00:39:50,887 National-Internationally? 595 00:39:50,888 --> 00:39:53,456 - Or nationally? - The entire globe. Yeah. 596 00:39:53,457 --> 00:39:56,457 I think energy production and transportation... 597 00:39:58,996 --> 00:40:01,996 ...are still major sources, so I think... 598 00:40:02,733 --> 00:40:05,733 I'm not gonna comment on that because I'm not familiar with those numbers. 599 00:40:06,370 --> 00:40:08,238 So it's... 600 00:40:08,239 --> 00:40:11,239 Don't quote me on this, but that's cow farts. 601 00:40:11,275 --> 00:40:13,777 That's, I think, what that is. 602 00:40:13,778 --> 00:40:16,146 It's... 603 00:40:16,147 --> 00:40:19,147 I think that's cow farts. 604 00:40:23,254 --> 00:40:25,088 Well, that's part of the story. 605 00:40:25,089 --> 00:40:27,957 Methane production from cows and livestock's flatulence... 606 00:40:27,958 --> 00:40:30,958 ...is a major contributor. 607 00:40:31,195 --> 00:40:34,195 But mostly it is due to deforestation and the waste they produce... 608 00:40:34,398 --> 00:40:37,398 ...which is 130times more waste than the entire human population. 609 00:40:37,902 --> 00:40:40,902 Virtually all without the benefit of any waste treatment. 610 00:40:41,772 --> 00:40:44,772 NRDC absolutely, as I said, has a food program. 611 00:40:47,011 --> 00:40:50,011 In fact, we just... Every year we do the Growing Green Awards... 612 00:40:50,548 --> 00:40:53,548 ...and we recognize food innovators, and this last year... 613 00:40:55,085 --> 00:40:58,085 ...one of the awardees was a sustainable pork producer, actually... 614 00:41:00,958 --> 00:41:03,958 ...that doesn't use any antibiotics. 615 00:41:05,129 --> 00:41:08,129 And also the antibiotic use that industrial food production... 616 00:41:10,568 --> 00:41:13,568 ...in the United States uses right now is... 617 00:41:14,271 --> 00:41:17,271 We're giving... The majority of antibiotics in the United States... 618 00:41:18,843 --> 00:41:21,843 ...are administered to healthy livestock. 619 00:41:25,583 --> 00:41:28,583 I wanted to visit one of these sustainable farms. 620 00:41:29,220 --> 00:41:31,354 I found the Markegard Grass-Fed beef farm... 621 00:41:31,355 --> 00:41:34,355 ...on the lush, misty California coast. 622 00:41:42,500 --> 00:41:45,500 I met Erik and Doniga Markegard and their four children. 623 00:41:48,272 --> 00:41:51,272 Lea and Larry are usually up at 6 and out milking the cows... 624 00:41:52,977 --> 00:41:55,977 ...slopping the hogs. 625 00:42:03,153 --> 00:42:06,153 All together, we graze about 4500 acres. 626 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:12,360 And this is our home ranch. 627 00:42:12,496 --> 00:42:15,496 And this is 952 acres of that. 628 00:42:18,402 --> 00:42:21,402 On average, it's about one cow, or a cow and a calf, per every 10 acres. 629 00:42:27,878 --> 00:42:30,878 We would produce annually roughly 80,000 pounds... 630 00:42:32,349 --> 00:42:35,349 ...of finished, plate-ready meat. 631 00:42:43,060 --> 00:42:46,060 We keep about 10 pigs in roughly a50-acre area... 632 00:42:48,999 --> 00:42:51,999 ...and we move them around in 10-acre pastures. 633 00:42:53,170 --> 00:42:56,170 Some people think that pigs are dirty and gross, but I really like them. 634 00:42:59,043 --> 00:43:02,043 They have... They know people, and they'll befriends and really nice. 635 00:43:06,917 --> 00:43:09,917 And they could be like your best friend, or could be like a sister. 636 00:43:11,989 --> 00:43:13,923 See? 637 00:43:13,924 --> 00:43:16,924 They know you when you get to know them. 638 00:43:18,195 --> 00:43:21,195 I mean, I shouldn't be bonding, but we have to have nice pigs. 639 00:43:21,198 --> 00:43:23,066 Why shouldn't you bond with them? 640 00:43:23,067 --> 00:43:26,067 Well, because they're gonna turn into bacon. 641 00:43:26,537 --> 00:43:29,537 - These pigs are about 7 months old now. - That's it? 642 00:43:32,142 --> 00:43:35,111 So these bigger ones are getting ready to be killed. 643 00:43:35,112 --> 00:43:38,192 Those two smaller ones there, you know, they could grow up a few more months. 644 00:43:41,485 --> 00:43:44,485 I love animals. That's why I'm in the meat business. 645 00:43:50,060 --> 00:43:52,128 It's what more of society needs to see... 646 00:43:52,129 --> 00:43:55,129 ...is that that packaged piece of meat is a living animal. 647 00:43:57,701 --> 00:44:00,701 Living and breathing creature that... 648 00:44:02,439 --> 00:44:05,439 Yeah, it's hard, it's hard, but like what Doniga said earlier... 649 00:44:08,045 --> 00:44:10,513 ...we do it because we love them. 650 00:44:10,514 --> 00:44:13,216 With the land use, there's anywhere between... 651 00:44:13,217 --> 00:44:16,217 With industrial, as low as 2to 2.5 acres per cow... 652 00:44:20,190 --> 00:44:23,351 ...all the way up to some, depending- It's not as lush as this. Up to 35 acres. 653 00:44:25,329 --> 00:44:28,197 Yeah, we have a ranch in South Dakota that's 50 acres. 654 00:44:28,198 --> 00:44:31,198 - Fifty acres per...? - Yeah, it's about 50 acres. Yeah. 655 00:44:31,735 --> 00:44:34,037 And why is that? 656 00:44:34,038 --> 00:44:37,038 Same thing, it was just farmed and robbed of all the nitrogen... 657 00:44:37,307 --> 00:44:39,676 - The land was abused. - It's also seasonal, right? 658 00:44:39,677 --> 00:44:41,678 And it's also seasonal. 659 00:44:41,679 --> 00:44:44,679 Ls it possible and is it practical for the whole world to say: 660 00:44:47,084 --> 00:44:49,285 "Have grass-fed cattle"? 661 00:44:49,286 --> 00:44:51,654 I mean, like, say Brazil, where, you know... 662 00:44:51,655 --> 00:44:54,655 ...supposedly 80 percent of the rainforest was destroyed for cattle... 663 00:44:57,795 --> 00:45:00,563 ...what are your thoughts on that? 664 00:45:00,564 --> 00:45:03,564 They shouldn't be eating beef. 665 00:45:04,535 --> 00:45:07,535 If their environment wasn't designed to raise beef... 666 00:45:09,339 --> 00:45:11,541 - ...then they shouldn't be eating it. - Yeah. 667 00:45:11,542 --> 00:45:14,542 How do you offset the carbon footprint of livestock? 668 00:45:19,450 --> 00:45:22,450 We don't feel like livestock have a carbon footprint. 669 00:45:24,755 --> 00:45:27,056 I left there feeling confused. 670 00:45:27,057 --> 00:45:29,726 As far as grass-fed beef not having a carbon footprint... 671 00:45:29,727 --> 00:45:32,028 ...it sounded like it could make sense... 672 00:45:32,029 --> 00:45:34,764 ...until added up the numbers on land use and population. 673 00:45:34,765 --> 00:45:37,600 If we're to use the Markegard model of raising animals... 674 00:45:37,601 --> 00:45:40,601 ...which requires 4500 acres producing 80,000 pounds of meat... 675 00:45:40,738 --> 00:45:43,639 ...the average American eats 209 pounds of meat per year. 676 00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:46,640 If that was all grass-fed beef, only 382 people could be fed on their land. 677 00:45:48,178 --> 00:45:51,178 That equates to 11.7 acres per person times 314 million Americans... 678 00:45:53,417 --> 00:45:56,417 ...which equals 3.7 billion acres of grazing land. 679 00:45:57,054 --> 00:46:00,054 Unfortunately there are only I.9 billion acres in the U.S.' lower48 states. 680 00:46:02,126 --> 00:46:05,327 Currently nearly half of all U.S. land is already dedicated to animal agriculture. 681 00:46:06,864 --> 00:46:08,865 If we're to switch to grass-fed beef... 682 00:46:08,866 --> 00:46:11,866 ...it would require clearing every square inch of the U.S... 683 00:46:12,102 --> 00:46:15,102 ...up into Canada, all of Central America, and well into South America. 684 00:46:16,173 --> 00:46:19,173 And this is just to feed the United States' demand on meat. 685 00:46:19,209 --> 00:46:22,145 But that figure doesn't even take into consideration... 686 00:46:22,146 --> 00:46:24,847 ...that much of that land isn't suited to graze livestock. 687 00:46:24,848 --> 00:46:27,848 We would have to convert all mountain ranges to grassland. 688 00:46:28,519 --> 00:46:31,519 Clear ancient forests and national parks to grazing. 689 00:46:32,089 --> 00:46:35,089 And demolish every city just to make room to graze cows. 690 00:46:35,859 --> 00:46:38,939 Just like Brazil, the United States isn't suited to meet the demands for meat. 691 00:46:42,766 --> 00:46:45,368 It takes 23 months fora grass-fed animal to grow... 692 00:46:45,369 --> 00:46:48,610 ...to the size and age that it's slaughtered, whereas a grain-fed takes 15 months. 693 00:46:49,406 --> 00:46:52,406 So that's an additional eight months of water use, land use, feed, waste... 694 00:46:55,579 --> 00:46:58,579 ...and in terms of a carbon footprint, that's a huge difference. 695 00:46:59,183 --> 00:47:00,917 Turns out, due to land use... 696 00:47:00,918 --> 00:47:03,918 ...grass-fed beef is more unsustainable than even factory farming. 697 00:47:06,190 --> 00:47:09,190 I had to come to terms with the fact there was no way to sustainably raise... 698 00:47:09,793 --> 00:47:12,793 ...enough animals to feed the world's current demand on meat... 699 00:47:12,830 --> 00:47:14,797 ...and had my doubts on dairy as well. 700 00:47:14,798 --> 00:47:17,798 But I did want to talk with a premier organic dairy company... 701 00:47:17,801 --> 00:47:21,002 ...to see if they believed their product was sustainable for the world's population. 702 00:47:21,839 --> 00:47:24,839 It requires a lot of inputs to produce milk. 703 00:47:26,476 --> 00:47:29,178 The feed, the water, the land. It does. 704 00:47:29,179 --> 00:47:32,420 And it may not be practical to expect that there can be enough dairy production... 705 00:47:35,319 --> 00:47:38,319 ...produced in a sustainable way to feed the entire world. 706 00:47:39,289 --> 00:47:42,289 I just don't think that that's necessarily a given. 707 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:45,960 I think it's maybe too much to expect... 708 00:47:46,396 --> 00:47:49,396 ...that the world can be fed with dairy in a sustainable way. 709 00:47:52,402 --> 00:47:55,402 I don't know the answer, but common sense would say... 710 00:47:55,772 --> 00:47:57,907 ...that's along shot. 711 00:47:57,908 --> 00:48:00,776 I was shocked to hear such an honest answer. 712 00:48:00,777 --> 00:48:03,777 If this is what the dairy CEO would say, I wondered what the farmer would claim. 713 00:48:05,415 --> 00:48:08,415 Based on their marketing it seemed their farms were an oasis for cows. 714 00:48:14,558 --> 00:48:17,558 It was not what I expected. 715 00:48:28,572 --> 00:48:31,572 Typically a cow will eat 140to 150 pounds of feed a day. 716 00:48:34,678 --> 00:48:37,678 - A hundred and forty...? - Forty to 50 pounds of feed every day. 717 00:48:37,681 --> 00:48:40,681 And then she's also gonna drink between 30 and 40 gallons of water. 718 00:48:41,218 --> 00:48:42,652 Oh, my Lord. 719 00:48:42,653 --> 00:48:45,653 Probably go through about 20 tons per week. 720 00:48:47,257 --> 00:48:50,257 - Twenty tons of grain per week. - Twenty tons of grain. For...? 721 00:48:50,661 --> 00:48:53,661 Primarily for our milking cows, so about 250 cows. 722 00:48:56,400 --> 00:48:59,235 Yeah, so the biggest part of sustainability to me... 723 00:48:59,236 --> 00:49:02,236 ...the number one thing on the list should be profitability. 724 00:49:03,941 --> 00:49:06,941 So how the process completely works, from start to finish... 725 00:49:06,977 --> 00:49:09,879 ...is the cow needs to have a baby in order to give milk. 726 00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:12,615 And so she'll have her baby. That baby's gonna stay... 727 00:49:12,616 --> 00:49:15,251 ...with the mother for at least two days. 728 00:49:15,252 --> 00:49:17,887 The babies will go off to our calf-raising facility... 729 00:49:17,888 --> 00:49:20,888 ...so they have an individual hutch that they'll be raised in. 730 00:49:20,924 --> 00:49:23,924 Since we're a dairy, it's only the girl cows that give us milk. 731 00:49:24,628 --> 00:49:27,668 So the boys, on typical dairies, they're sold off to beef-raising facilities. 732 00:49:28,966 --> 00:49:31,966 But we do keep approximately half and we raise them for two years... 733 00:49:32,369 --> 00:49:34,870 ...and sell them as organic grass-fed beef. 734 00:49:34,871 --> 00:49:37,871 So all dairy cows eventually go to the beef industry? 735 00:49:40,077 --> 00:49:41,978 At some point she'll really drop off. 736 00:49:41,979 --> 00:49:44,714 So you have to make a business decision at that point: 737 00:49:44,715 --> 00:49:47,583 Are you gonna keep investing in her to give milk... 738 00:49:47,584 --> 00:49:50,785 ...or are you gonna sell her off again to another dairy, or into the beef industry? 739 00:50:02,466 --> 00:50:05,466 There's very few places on this planet that have this type of environment. 740 00:50:06,303 --> 00:50:09,303 But the demand on dairy-based protein in the world is only gonna increase. 741 00:50:10,374 --> 00:50:12,508 And there's not enough land on the planet... 742 00:50:12,509 --> 00:50:15,509 ...to do this type of dairying around the world. 743 00:50:15,579 --> 00:50:18,579 It's just the environment is not gonna be that way. The land's not there. 744 00:50:20,417 --> 00:50:22,318 So I guess on a global scale... 745 00:50:22,319 --> 00:50:25,319 ...the conclusion would be dairy's not sustainable. 746 00:50:27,124 --> 00:50:30,124 Unless we start digging up houses and putting pastures back. 747 00:50:32,562 --> 00:50:35,842 And the only way to start digging up houses and development is to have less people. 748 00:50:36,833 --> 00:50:39,833 But we only know that the population is gonna continue to grow. 749 00:50:42,506 --> 00:50:45,441 So that means more commercial dairying, I'm sure. 750 00:50:45,442 --> 00:50:47,910 Either that or somehow lower demand by the people? 751 00:50:47,911 --> 00:50:50,479 Yeah, or some other product's gonna take its place. 752 00:50:50,480 --> 00:50:53,480 We see there are all sorts of soy milks and almond milk... 753 00:50:54,084 --> 00:50:56,652 ...and a lot of other products that are coming out. 754 00:50:56,653 --> 00:50:59,653 And different blends, you know, where you take juices and proteins. 755 00:51:00,857 --> 00:51:02,825 I think you'll see a lot more of that. 756 00:51:02,826 --> 00:51:05,826 He was right. How could cows' milk be sustainable? 757 00:51:06,029 --> 00:51:09,029 For one gallon of milk, it takes upwards of 1000 gallons of water to produce. 758 00:51:11,668 --> 00:51:13,669 Doing research on grass-fed livestock... 759 00:51:13,670 --> 00:51:16,472 ...I kept coming across the work of Allan Savory. 760 00:51:16,473 --> 00:51:19,473 Almost a third of the planet's land is becoming desert... 761 00:51:19,643 --> 00:51:22,643 ...with the vast majority due to livestock grazing. 762 00:51:22,646 --> 00:51:25,646 Savory claims that the best way to reverse this desertification... 763 00:51:26,583 --> 00:51:29,085 ...is to actually graze more animals. 764 00:51:29,086 --> 00:51:32,086 This reminded me of Oceana saying the best way to help fish is to eat fish. 765 00:51:33,423 --> 00:51:34,723 This is the same man... 766 00:51:34,724 --> 00:51:37,460 ...during the 1950s working as a research officer... 767 00:51:37,461 --> 00:51:39,962 ...for the Game Department of what is now Zimbabwe... 768 00:51:39,963 --> 00:51:42,963 ...came up with a theory, in spite of scientific evidence... 769 00:51:43,100 --> 00:51:46,100 ...that actually elephants were the cause of desertification there. 770 00:51:46,670 --> 00:51:49,670 And his solution was convincing the government to kill 40,000 elephants. 771 00:51:55,979 --> 00:51:58,979 Yet after 14years of relentless slaughter, the conditions only got worse. 772 00:52:03,086 --> 00:52:06,086 His theory was wrong. 773 00:52:06,423 --> 00:52:08,557 The culling finally ended... 774 00:52:08,558 --> 00:52:11,558 ...but not until tens of thousands of elephants and their families were killed. 775 00:52:13,096 --> 00:52:16,096 This is not someone I would ever take ecological advice from. 776 00:52:27,210 --> 00:52:30,210 It turns out the cattle industry is having the same effect... 777 00:52:30,547 --> 00:52:33,249 ...on wildlife in the United States. 778 00:52:33,250 --> 00:52:36,250 The government has been rounding up horses en masse. 779 00:52:37,621 --> 00:52:40,621 We now have more wild horses and burros in government holding facilities... 780 00:52:41,158 --> 00:52:44,158 Fifty-thousand wild horses and burros. ...Than we have free on the range. 781 00:52:44,928 --> 00:52:47,928 Basically you have ranchers who get to graze on our public lands... 782 00:52:48,765 --> 00:52:50,900 ...for a fraction of the going rate. 783 00:52:50,901 --> 00:52:54,181 They're getting this huge tax subsidy. It's about one-fifteenth of the going rate. 784 00:52:55,105 --> 00:52:57,273 And the Bureau of Land Management has to say: 785 00:52:57,274 --> 00:52:59,575 "How much forage and water is on the land?" 786 00:52:59,576 --> 00:53:00,910 And then they divvy it up. 787 00:53:00,911 --> 00:53:03,911 They give so much to the cows, so much to, you know, "wildlife"... 788 00:53:04,080 --> 00:53:06,248 ...and so much to the wild horses and burros. 789 00:53:06,249 --> 00:53:09,249 And what we see is the lion's share of the forage and water... 790 00:53:10,153 --> 00:53:12,154 ...is going to the livestock industry. 791 00:53:12,155 --> 00:53:14,857 And then they scapegoat the horses and burros and say: 792 00:53:14,858 --> 00:53:17,858 "Oh, there are too many horses and burros. Let's remove them." 793 00:53:18,728 --> 00:53:21,728 I always tell people, wild horses and burros are just one of the victims... 794 00:53:22,265 --> 00:53:25,265 ...of the management of our public lands for livestock... 795 00:53:25,502 --> 00:53:28,037 ...because we also see the predator-killing going on. 796 00:53:28,038 --> 00:53:31,038 We know wolves are now being targeted by ranchers, to get rid of wolves. 797 00:53:32,642 --> 00:53:35,642 USDA has aircraft, and all they do is aerial gunning of predators. 798 00:53:36,980 --> 00:53:39,980 All a rancher does is call up and say, "I've got coyote here." 799 00:53:39,983 --> 00:53:42,117 They'll come over and shoot the coyote. 800 00:53:42,118 --> 00:53:44,753 Or they'll shoot the mountain lion or the bobcat. 801 00:53:44,754 --> 00:53:47,556 And this is all for ranching. 802 00:53:47,557 --> 00:53:50,557 In Washington State, after cattle were found to be attacked... 803 00:53:54,531 --> 00:53:57,233 ...on public lands where they were grazing under permit... 804 00:53:57,234 --> 00:54:00,234 ...Washington State decided to kill the entire Wedge pack of wolves. 805 00:54:03,607 --> 00:54:06,607 And those wolves were not introduced. They had in-migrated from Canada. 806 00:54:07,844 --> 00:54:09,845 But they're no longer there. 807 00:54:09,846 --> 00:54:12,846 And it starts at the local level, with the Bureau of Land Managements... 808 00:54:13,283 --> 00:54:16,283 ...but then it goes all the way to Congress. 809 00:54:17,153 --> 00:54:19,154 And we see Congress willing to allow... 810 00:54:19,155 --> 00:54:22,155 ...this type of mismanagement of our public lands to continue. 811 00:54:22,158 --> 00:54:25,158 It is the insistence of, and the lobbying power of... 812 00:54:26,563 --> 00:54:29,563 ...the animal agriculture industry... 813 00:54:29,699 --> 00:54:32,699 ...that continues to see wolves killed... 814 00:54:33,303 --> 00:54:36,303 ...continues to see an insistence that predators be maintained... 815 00:54:36,806 --> 00:54:39,806 ...at a low level that does not benefit ecosystems. 816 00:54:41,678 --> 00:54:44,839 I've seen so many pieces of land, looked at so many environmental assessments... 817 00:54:45,382 --> 00:54:47,383 ...from the Bureau of Land Management... 818 00:54:47,384 --> 00:54:50,384 ...where they say the range lands are not meeting standards. 819 00:54:50,587 --> 00:54:53,587 And they say, straight-up, livestock grazing... 820 00:54:53,623 --> 00:54:55,824 ...is a cause for not meeting range standards. 821 00:54:55,825 --> 00:54:58,825 And yet they will continue to allow livestock grazing. 822 00:54:58,895 --> 00:55:01,895 They're at the very core of making sure... 823 00:55:03,300 --> 00:55:06,300 ...that cougars are treed by hounds... 824 00:55:06,603 --> 00:55:08,871 ...and that wolf packs are run down... 825 00:55:08,872 --> 00:55:11,872 ...and that hunting seasons are opened up year-round... 826 00:55:13,109 --> 00:55:15,944 ...and that traps are set so that they can suffer. 827 00:55:15,945 --> 00:55:18,945 If anyone cares about wild horses and wildlife and public lands... 828 00:55:20,150 --> 00:55:23,052 ...and the environment, you can't ignore the livestock... 829 00:55:23,053 --> 00:55:26,413 The negative impact that livestock grazing is having on our public lands in the West. 830 00:55:28,224 --> 00:55:31,224 I've added up the costs of animal food production... 831 00:55:32,829 --> 00:55:35,798 ...that the producers don't actually bear themselves. 832 00:55:35,799 --> 00:55:38,367 These are the hidden costs or the externalized costs... 833 00:55:38,368 --> 00:55:40,336 ...that they impose on society. 834 00:55:40,337 --> 00:55:43,337 And those are in categories like health care, environmental damage... 835 00:55:44,441 --> 00:55:47,441 ...subsidies, damage to fisheries, and even cruelty. 836 00:55:48,678 --> 00:55:51,678 If you take those externalized costs, which are about $414 billion... 837 00:55:53,450 --> 00:55:56,530 ...if the meat and dairy industries were required to internalize those costs... 838 00:55:58,822 --> 00:56:01,123 ...if they had to bear those costs themselves... 839 00:56:01,124 --> 00:56:04,124 ...the costs of the retail prices of meat and dairy would sky rocket. 840 00:56:05,762 --> 00:56:08,762 So a$5 carton of eggs would go to $13. 841 00:56:09,999 --> 00:56:12,935 A $4 Big Mac would go to $11. 842 00:56:12,936 --> 00:56:15,936 The problem with these externalized costs being imposed on society... 843 00:56:17,674 --> 00:56:19,775 ...is that whether you eat meat or not... 844 00:56:19,776 --> 00:56:22,411 ...whether you're an omnivore oran herbivore... 845 00:56:22,412 --> 00:56:25,412 ...you are paying part of the costs of somebody else's consumption. 846 00:56:26,883 --> 00:56:28,951 So when somebody goes into a McDonald's... 847 00:56:28,952 --> 00:56:30,819 ...and buys a Big Macfor$4... 848 00:56:30,820 --> 00:56:33,820 ...there's another$7 of costs that's imposed on society. 849 00:56:34,357 --> 00:56:37,357 I'm paying that. You're paying that, whether you eat meat or not. 850 00:56:40,263 --> 00:56:43,504 When you look at who's benefiting, and who lobbied for this system of agriculture... 851 00:56:44,300 --> 00:56:46,902 ...it's the largest food producers in the country... 852 00:56:46,903 --> 00:56:48,971 ...and the largest meat producers. 853 00:56:48,972 --> 00:56:51,972 And once they become so large and wealthy... 854 00:56:52,142 --> 00:56:55,142 ...then they can dictate the federal policies around producing food... 855 00:56:58,381 --> 00:57:01,381 ...because they have so much political power. 856 00:57:01,718 --> 00:57:04,353 Was this why Al Gore, even during his vice presidency... 857 00:57:04,354 --> 00:57:06,989 ...never addressed the issue of animal agriculture... 858 00:57:06,990 --> 00:57:09,858 ...and failed to talk about it in An Inconvenient Truth... 859 00:57:09,859 --> 00:57:12,327 ...or his organization, The Climate Reality Project? 860 00:57:12,328 --> 00:57:15,328 Was this truth just too inconvenient for even him? 861 00:57:15,965 --> 00:57:18,965 I felt let down by the man who inspired me on this entire path. 862 00:57:20,804 --> 00:57:23,804 I knew I needed to talk to an animal agriculture lobby group... 863 00:57:23,873 --> 00:57:25,741 ...to see what they had to say. 864 00:57:25,742 --> 00:57:28,742 If they could silence the government, are they influencing... 865 00:57:28,745 --> 00:57:31,745 ...and possibly have connections to these environmental groups as well? 866 00:57:32,248 --> 00:57:35,248 Animal Agriculture Alliance, one of the biggest livestock lobby groups... 867 00:57:35,852 --> 00:57:38,852 ...has agreed to an interview. Greenpeace won't give us an interview... 868 00:57:39,289 --> 00:57:42,289 ...but Animal Agriculture Alliance has agreed to an interview. 869 00:57:42,525 --> 00:57:44,560 Now, that... 870 00:57:44,561 --> 00:57:46,929 Now, that is saying something. 871 00:57:46,930 --> 00:57:49,930 People hear the word GMOs, and that's a really scary term. 872 00:57:53,036 --> 00:57:56,076 Agriculture's kind of struggled to explain what that means, but in reality... 873 00:57:56,806 --> 00:57:59,806 ...what we've done is to use technology to make advancements... 874 00:58:01,044 --> 00:58:04,044 ...in how we raise crops and how we raise animals. 875 00:58:04,147 --> 00:58:07,147 We're not gonna feed the world going back to how it was 100 years ago... 876 00:58:07,951 --> 00:58:10,853 ...where all the animals were, you know, pasture-fed. 877 00:58:10,854 --> 00:58:13,854 We didn't just move animals inside and just implement... 878 00:58:14,424 --> 00:58:17,424 ...these large vertically-integrated systems because of sustainability. 879 00:58:18,261 --> 00:58:21,096 It certainly reduces the environmental impact... 880 00:58:21,097 --> 00:58:24,097 ...while improving animal well-being and food safety. 881 00:58:24,934 --> 00:58:27,934 So you're saying that animals like it just as much being inside... 882 00:58:28,805 --> 00:58:31,805 ...say, the chickens and the cows like being just as much inside... 883 00:58:32,108 --> 00:58:33,442 ...as pasture grass-fed? 884 00:58:33,443 --> 00:58:36,443 In a lot of cases, it's been a significant improvement in their well-being... 885 00:58:38,181 --> 00:58:41,181 ...just in terms of the amount of care they can get, individualized care. 886 00:58:42,185 --> 00:58:44,486 Does the meat and dairy industry ever support... 887 00:58:44,487 --> 00:58:47,456 ...or donate to environmental non-profits? 888 00:58:47,457 --> 00:58:50,259 I don't know that I would want to comment on that. 889 00:58:50,260 --> 00:58:52,494 Yeah, I... I don't... 890 00:58:52,495 --> 00:58:55,495 I don't know. 891 00:58:58,301 --> 00:59:00,903 I don't know that we would know what they donate to. 892 00:59:00,904 --> 00:59:03,904 Does meat and dairy industry ever support or donate to, say, Greenpeace? 893 00:59:07,043 --> 00:59:10,043 Again, I don't know that I would feel comfortable... 894 00:59:12,949 --> 00:59:15,117 Hey, sorry we didn't get back to you earlier. 895 00:59:15,118 --> 00:59:17,419 I have some bad news. 896 00:59:17,420 --> 00:59:20,420 We are no longer able to fund your film project. 897 00:59:20,657 --> 00:59:23,657 We had a meeting and due to the growing controversial subject matter... 898 00:59:24,394 --> 00:59:26,995 ...we have some concerns and have to pull out. 899 00:59:26,996 --> 00:59:29,932 Why was this subject so controversial? 900 00:59:29,933 --> 00:59:32,933 The first person I could think to speak with was Howard Lyman... 901 00:59:33,036 --> 00:59:36,036 ...who had been sued by cattlemen for simply speaking the truth... 902 00:59:36,205 --> 00:59:39,205 ...about animal agriculture on The Oprah Winfrey Show. 903 00:59:41,344 --> 00:59:44,344 I was born on the largest dairy farm in the state of Montana in 1938. 904 00:59:48,384 --> 00:59:49,518 Grew up my entire life on a livestock farm. 905 00:59:49,519 --> 00:59:52,519 Grew up my entire life on a livestock farm. 906 00:59:54,190 --> 00:59:57,190 Went to Montana State University, got a degree in Agriculture. 907 00:59:58,928 --> 01:00:01,928 Came back and started a mega agriculture endeavor... 908 01:00:06,002 --> 01:00:09,002 ...where I had 10,000 acres of crop... 909 01:00:10,073 --> 01:00:13,073 ...7000 head of cattle... 910 01:00:13,610 --> 01:00:16,111 ...and about 30 employees. 911 01:00:16,112 --> 01:00:19,112 Solspent45 years of my life in animal agriculture. 912 01:00:20,617 --> 01:00:23,617 And so I've been there, done that. 913 01:00:25,488 --> 01:00:28,488 When I was on The Oprah Show, we had the food disparagement law. 914 01:00:29,125 --> 01:00:32,125 Now, the food disparagement law, in my opinion, was unconstitutional... 915 01:00:34,130 --> 01:00:37,130 ...but what it basically said, that it was against the law... 916 01:00:38,134 --> 01:00:41,134 ...to say something you knew to be false about a perishable commodity. 917 01:00:44,007 --> 01:00:47,007 I didn't say anything on The Oprah Show I thought to be false. 918 01:00:47,543 --> 01:00:50,245 I went there and told the truth. 919 01:00:50,246 --> 01:00:53,246 Now, it took five years and hundreds of thousands of dollars... 920 01:00:56,052 --> 01:00:59,052 ...to end up extricating myself... 921 01:00:59,389 --> 01:01:02,389 ...from the suits from the cattle industry. 922 01:01:04,093 --> 01:01:07,093 But if I was to go on The Oprah Show today... 923 01:01:09,032 --> 01:01:12,032 ...say exactly the same thing today that I said back then... 924 01:01:14,103 --> 01:01:16,171 ...I would be guilty. 925 01:01:16,172 --> 01:01:19,172 And for me, when they were talking about the food disparagement law... 926 01:01:21,544 --> 01:01:24,544 ...it was the fact of whether I told the truth or not. 927 01:01:26,249 --> 01:01:29,249 You can go today and tell the truth... 928 01:01:30,720 --> 01:01:33,355 ...and you will be guilty... 929 01:01:33,356 --> 01:01:36,356 ...because if you cause a disruption... 930 01:01:37,126 --> 01:01:40,126 ...in the profits of the animal industry... 931 01:01:41,698 --> 01:01:44,698 ...you're guilty under the Patriot Act. 932 01:01:45,334 --> 01:01:48,334 Do you think there should be any concern of us making this documentary? 933 01:01:50,640 --> 01:01:52,274 Of course. 934 01:01:52,275 --> 01:01:54,643 If you don't realize right now... 935 01:01:54,644 --> 01:01:57,644 ...that you're putting your neck on the chopping block... 936 01:01:58,181 --> 01:02:01,181 ...you know, you better take that camera and throw it away. 937 01:02:06,355 --> 01:02:09,355 Animal agriculture is one of the most powerful industries on the planet. 938 01:02:09,792 --> 01:02:12,792 I think most people in this country are aware of the influence... 939 01:02:13,096 --> 01:02:16,297 ...of money and industry on politics, and we really see that clearly on display... 940 01:02:17,366 --> 01:02:19,234 ...with this industry in particular. 941 01:02:19,235 --> 01:02:22,436 Most would be shocked to learn that animal rights and environmental activists... 942 01:02:23,106 --> 01:02:26,106 ...are the number one domestic terrorism threat according to the FBl. 943 01:02:26,542 --> 01:02:29,244 - And why is that? - It's difficult to answer... 944 01:02:29,245 --> 01:02:32,245 ...why these groups are at the top of the FBI's priorities. 945 01:02:32,548 --> 01:02:35,283 I think a big part of it is that they... 946 01:02:35,284 --> 01:02:38,053 ...more than really any other social movements today... 947 01:02:38,054 --> 01:02:40,322 ...are directly threatening corporate profits. 948 01:02:40,323 --> 01:02:43,323 You know, when we try to find out how factory farms... 949 01:02:43,326 --> 01:02:46,326 ...and how animal agriculture is polluting the environment... 950 01:02:46,329 --> 01:02:49,064 ...they try to claim exemptions to that information... 951 01:02:49,065 --> 01:02:52,065 ...either under national security terms or public safety. 952 01:02:52,268 --> 01:02:55,268 Trademark issues. It's a business secret. 953 01:02:55,805 --> 01:02:58,240 All these attempts to keep people in the dark... 954 01:02:58,241 --> 01:03:00,142 ...about what they're actually doing. 955 01:03:00,143 --> 01:03:03,423 One of the largest industries on the planet with the biggest environmental impact... 956 01:03:04,180 --> 01:03:06,615 ...keeping us in the dark about how it's operating. 957 01:03:06,616 --> 01:03:09,616 Through the Freedom of Information Act, we obtained documents... 958 01:03:09,719 --> 01:03:11,620 ...from the counter-terrorism unit... 959 01:03:11,621 --> 01:03:13,822 ...that show they're monitoring my lectures... 960 01:03:13,823 --> 01:03:16,823 ...media interviews, like this one, my website, my book. 961 01:03:17,593 --> 01:03:20,128 Are we at risk filming this and showing it? 962 01:03:20,129 --> 01:03:23,129 You're going up against people that have massive legal resources. 963 01:03:23,733 --> 01:03:26,733 I mean, it's just overwhelming, the amount of money at their disposal. 964 01:03:27,303 --> 01:03:28,637 And you have nothing. 965 01:03:28,638 --> 01:03:31,638 And I think that fear is a big part of the tactic as well. 966 01:03:32,542 --> 01:03:35,243 Will was right.I was scared. 967 01:03:35,244 --> 01:03:37,879 When I learned about activists being killed in Brazil... 968 01:03:37,880 --> 01:03:39,881 ...I was disturbed, but I felt removed. 969 01:03:39,882 --> 01:03:42,684 But to learn about American activists and journalists... 970 01:03:42,685 --> 01:03:45,120 ...being targeted by the industry and FBl? 971 01:03:45,121 --> 01:03:46,788 My funding being dropped? 972 01:03:46,789 --> 01:03:49,789 I was genuinely worried and hit close to home. 973 01:03:49,826 --> 01:03:52,826 Was this why no one was willing to talk about the issue? 974 01:03:53,262 --> 01:03:56,262 I decided to take precautionary measures with all the footage I shot. 975 01:04:05,341 --> 01:04:08,341 I was beyond frightened to imagine what could possibly happen... 976 01:04:08,477 --> 01:04:11,279 ...if I pursued this subject any further. 977 01:04:11,280 --> 01:04:14,320 It seemed the only decision to make was to put down the cameras and walk away. 978 01:04:19,188 --> 01:04:21,590 But then I realized this issue was way bigger... 979 01:04:21,591 --> 01:04:24,591 ...than any personal concern I could ever have for myself. 980 01:04:25,161 --> 01:04:28,161 This was about all life on Earth hanging in the balance of our actions. 981 01:04:28,865 --> 01:04:31,865 Now you either live for something, or die for nothing. 982 01:04:32,235 --> 01:04:34,769 And I actually had no choice all along. 983 01:04:34,770 --> 01:04:37,439 I decided to surrender not to fear from the secret... 984 01:04:37,440 --> 01:04:39,941 ...but rather to a cause towards truth. 985 01:04:39,942 --> 01:04:42,677 I couldn't be like these environmental organizations... 986 01:04:42,678 --> 01:04:45,799 ...and sit silently while the planet was eaten alive right in front of our eyes. 987 01:04:46,616 --> 01:04:49,616 I had to stand up and continue on. 988 01:04:56,692 --> 01:04:59,692 Some people would say the problem isn't really animal agriculture... 989 01:04:59,962 --> 01:05:02,962 ...but actually human overpopulation. 990 01:05:04,734 --> 01:05:07,734 In 1812, there were 1 billion people on the planet. 991 01:05:07,737 --> 01:05:10,505 In 1912, there were 1.5 billion. 992 01:05:10,506 --> 01:05:13,506 Then just 100 years later, our population exploded to 7 billion humans. 993 01:05:16,245 --> 01:05:18,914 This number is rightly given a great deal of attention... 994 01:05:18,915 --> 01:05:21,915 ...but an even more important figure when determining world population... 995 01:05:22,518 --> 01:05:25,518 ...is the world's 70 billion farm animals humans raise. 996 01:05:28,291 --> 01:05:31,291 The human population drinks 5.2 billion gallons of water every day... 997 01:05:32,795 --> 01:05:35,795 ...and eats 21 billion pounds of food. 998 01:05:35,798 --> 01:05:38,500 But just the world's 1.5 billion cows alone... 999 01:05:38,501 --> 01:05:41,501 ...drink 45 billion gallons of water every day... 1000 01:05:41,771 --> 01:05:44,771 ...and eat 135 billion pounds of food. 1001 01:05:45,274 --> 01:05:47,709 This isn't so much a human population issue. 1002 01:05:47,710 --> 01:05:50,710 It's a human-eating-animals population issue. 1003 01:05:50,713 --> 01:05:53,248 Environmental organizations not addressing this... 1004 01:05:53,249 --> 01:05:56,249 ...is like health organizations trying to stop lung cancer... 1005 01:05:56,252 --> 01:05:58,253 ...without addressing cigarette smoking. 1006 01:05:58,254 --> 01:06:01,254 But instead of secondhand smoking, it's secondhand eating... 1007 01:06:01,290 --> 01:06:04,290 ...which affects the entire planet. 1008 01:06:05,328 --> 01:06:08,449 We're growing enough food right now to feed between 12 and 15 billion people. 1009 01:06:08,931 --> 01:06:10,765 We only have 7 billion people. 1010 01:06:10,766 --> 01:06:13,766 We have roughly a billion people starving every single day. 1011 01:06:15,404 --> 01:06:18,404 Worldwide, 50 percent of the grain and legumes that we're growing... 1012 01:06:19,475 --> 01:06:20,976 ...we're feeding to animals. 1013 01:06:20,977 --> 01:06:23,712 So they're eating huge amounts of grain and legumes. 1014 01:06:23,713 --> 01:06:27,193 In the United States, it's more like closer to 70, 80, depending on which grain it is. 1015 01:06:28,451 --> 01:06:31,451 About 90 percent of the soybeans. 1016 01:06:33,022 --> 01:06:35,957 Eighty-two percent of starving children live in countries... 1017 01:06:35,958 --> 01:06:38,660 ...where food is fed to animals in livestock systems... 1018 01:06:38,661 --> 01:06:41,596 ...that are killed and eaten by more well-off individuals... 1019 01:06:41,597 --> 01:06:44,597 ...in developed countries such as the U.S. and Europe. 1020 01:06:46,969 --> 01:06:48,970 The fact of it is that we could feed... 1021 01:06:48,971 --> 01:06:51,940 ...every human being on the planet today an adequate diet... 1022 01:06:51,941 --> 01:06:54,941 ...if we did no more than take the feed that we're feeding to animals... 1023 01:06:57,546 --> 01:07:00,546 ...and actually turn it into food for humans. 1024 01:07:01,083 --> 01:07:04,083 And so somebody trying to justify GMOs... 1025 01:07:05,021 --> 01:07:08,021 ...that's like trying to give a drowning man a drink of water. 1026 01:07:09,091 --> 01:07:12,091 You can produce, on average, 15 times more protein... 1027 01:07:14,096 --> 01:07:17,096 ...from plant-based sources than from meat on any given area of land... 1028 01:07:18,667 --> 01:07:21,136 ...whether it's... Using the same type of land... 1029 01:07:21,137 --> 01:07:24,137 ...whether it's a very fertile area in one area of the world... 1030 01:07:24,340 --> 01:07:26,041 ...or it's an area that's depleted. 1031 01:07:26,042 --> 01:07:29,042 If we would reduce the amount of meat we're eating, and dairy and eggs... 1032 01:07:29,812 --> 01:07:32,447 ...we could allow all these mono-cropped fields... 1033 01:07:32,448 --> 01:07:34,816 ...of genetically-engineered corn and soybeans... 1034 01:07:34,817 --> 01:07:37,817 ...to revert back to forest again, to be habitat for animals. 1035 01:07:38,587 --> 01:07:41,587 You know, any time somebody tells you that we can't grow food for humans... 1036 01:07:44,493 --> 01:07:47,493 ...on the land that we're growing feed for animals... 1037 01:07:48,364 --> 01:07:49,831 ...this is somebody that- 1038 01:07:49,832 --> 01:07:52,832 Evoking the number one crop out in California. 1039 01:07:52,968 --> 01:07:56,169 The fact of it is if you can grow corn to stuff down the throat of an animal... 1040 01:07:59,108 --> 01:08:02,108 ...you can actually grow corn and feed it to a human. 1041 01:08:03,979 --> 01:08:06,979 You encourage people to eat less meat, for the resources required... 1042 01:08:07,383 --> 01:08:09,050 ...and the toll on the environment. 1043 01:08:09,051 --> 01:08:11,052 - And on the animal. - And on the animals. 1044 01:08:11,053 --> 01:08:14,053 And the workers in the system. It's a brutal system at every level. 1045 01:08:14,423 --> 01:08:17,423 As the world population continues to grow to almost 9 billion people... 1046 01:08:19,395 --> 01:08:22,097 ...do you foresee someday that we might just completely... 1047 01:08:22,098 --> 01:08:24,966 ...have to stop eating meat altogether? 1048 01:08:24,967 --> 01:08:27,001 I don't know that we'll completely stop. 1049 01:08:27,002 --> 01:08:29,971 I think that the amount of meat-eating will decline. 1050 01:08:29,972 --> 01:08:32,740 There's no way to support 9 ounces per person per day... 1051 01:08:32,741 --> 01:08:35,477 ...which is what Americans are eating now. 1052 01:08:35,478 --> 01:08:38,046 If the Chinese alone decide they wanna eat that much... 1053 01:08:38,047 --> 01:08:40,215 And they've decided they wanna eat that much. 1054 01:08:40,216 --> 01:08:43,216 We just can't... We don't have enough world... 1055 01:08:43,519 --> 01:08:46,221 ...to produce the grain to generate that much meat. 1056 01:08:46,222 --> 01:08:49,222 I think a plant-based diet is the most sustainable. 1057 01:08:51,160 --> 01:08:54,160 What do you recommend to see for9 billion people can eat... 1058 01:08:54,196 --> 01:08:57,165 ...for the planet to not only sustain, but to thrive? 1059 01:08:57,166 --> 01:08:59,901 Would you throw out a numb...? Like an ounce, one ounce? 1060 01:08:59,902 --> 01:09:02,570 - Oh, per meat? - And including dairy. 1061 01:09:02,571 --> 01:09:05,571 Yeah, I don't think I know enough. 1062 01:09:06,075 --> 01:09:09,075 But, yeah, it would be on the order of a couple ounces a week. 1063 01:09:09,178 --> 01:09:12,178 You know, it's not gonna be the way we're eating it now. 1064 01:09:12,948 --> 01:09:15,783 We're gorging on meat. We're eating huge amounts. 1065 01:09:15,784 --> 01:09:18,086 - Does that include cheese too? - Yeah, yeah. 1066 01:09:18,087 --> 01:09:20,088 - Like, two ounces total? - Yeah, cheese and milk. 1067 01:09:20,089 --> 01:09:21,689 - Like, two ounces total? - Yeah, cheese and milk. 1068 01:09:21,690 --> 01:09:23,925 Only2 ounces a week seem like nothing. 1069 01:09:23,926 --> 01:09:26,628 People could probably raise that in their own backyard. 1070 01:09:26,629 --> 01:09:29,564 Maybe backyard farming was a sustainable solution. 1071 01:09:29,565 --> 01:09:30,999 I have 42 ducks. 1072 01:09:31,000 --> 01:09:34,000 I started off with three ducks three years ago. 1073 01:09:35,237 --> 01:09:38,206 And then those burdened into a population. 1074 01:09:38,207 --> 01:09:41,207 I buy a 75-pound bag of seed... 1075 01:09:41,577 --> 01:09:44,577 ...and that seed bag will last me, right now, about two weeks. 1076 01:09:45,681 --> 01:09:48,681 The ducks now that we're gonna be culling are about 2 years old. 1077 01:09:50,619 --> 01:09:53,054 When you're living with them, they get used to you. 1078 01:09:53,055 --> 01:09:55,857 You know, they're not intimidated or whatever. 1079 01:09:55,858 --> 01:09:58,858 And so they make all their vocal sounds, like natural. 1080 01:10:00,162 --> 01:10:03,162 Slow down. 1081 01:10:04,200 --> 01:10:07,200 Easy, easy, easy. 1082 01:10:08,804 --> 01:10:11,804 Okay. 1083 01:10:13,542 --> 01:10:16,542 No, we're gonna keep you. 1084 01:10:17,780 --> 01:10:20,780 Ron, these two go first. 1085 01:10:24,687 --> 01:10:27,687 Being smart-wise? 1086 01:10:30,226 --> 01:10:33,226 Compared to a chicken, they're probably the same. 1087 01:10:38,968 --> 01:10:41,968 - That one's nice, see? - Yeah, he is. 1088 01:10:44,907 --> 01:10:47,907 Alrighty. 1089 01:10:50,145 --> 01:10:53,145 Okay. 1090 01:10:54,049 --> 01:10:57,049 Right there. 1091 01:11:11,600 --> 01:11:13,268 That's gonna be a little gruesome. 1092 01:11:13,269 --> 01:11:15,803 How could that still be alive? 1093 01:11:15,804 --> 01:11:18,373 How could that still be alive? 1094 01:11:18,374 --> 01:11:20,041 They're not. 1095 01:11:20,042 --> 01:11:21,743 That's nerves. 1096 01:11:21,744 --> 01:11:24,744 A nerve reaction. 1097 01:11:27,016 --> 01:11:29,784 Five years old or something like that, I think it was... 1098 01:11:29,785 --> 01:11:32,785 ...the first time my dad came out and made us watch... 1099 01:11:34,123 --> 01:11:37,123 ...as we did rabbits. 1100 01:11:37,359 --> 01:11:40,359 And we'd raise probably a couple dozen rabbits each year. 1101 01:11:44,099 --> 01:11:47,099 And then we would take those rabbits and skin them... 1102 01:11:48,604 --> 01:11:50,772 ...and clean them up and keep them for food. 1103 01:11:50,773 --> 01:11:53,773 As a young kid, I was kind of... 1104 01:11:54,610 --> 01:11:57,610 I don't want to say it was hard, but it was kind of, from my memory... 1105 01:12:00,282 --> 01:12:03,251 Because some of the rabbits I had named. 1106 01:12:03,252 --> 01:12:06,252 So I was kind of like going... 1107 01:12:08,123 --> 01:12:11,123 But after doing it a couple times, you kind of just learned... 1108 01:12:11,126 --> 01:12:14,126 ...it's just something that has to be done. 1109 01:12:19,335 --> 01:12:22,335 Not the fingers. 1110 01:12:30,846 --> 01:12:32,447 I just can't do it. 1111 01:12:32,448 --> 01:12:35,448 I don't think I could have someone else do it for me, if I can't do it. 1112 01:12:36,085 --> 01:12:39,085 If I can't do it, I don't want someone else doing it for me. 1113 01:12:40,756 --> 01:12:42,256 And then sustainability... 1114 01:12:42,257 --> 01:12:45,257 For sustainability, 75 pounds is 2 pounds per- 1115 01:12:47,996 --> 01:12:50,996 So it's a pound per week per duck. 1116 01:12:52,101 --> 01:12:55,101 Fifty-two weeks, 110... 1117 01:12:55,904 --> 01:12:58,904 So it's 110 pounds of food... 1118 01:12:59,975 --> 01:13:02,975 ...for I to 1.5 pounds of meat. 1119 01:13:02,978 --> 01:13:05,978 So on a sustainability issue, it's 100to 1. 1120 01:13:08,384 --> 01:13:11,384 And that grain gets... You know, who knows where that grain comes from? 1121 01:13:12,488 --> 01:13:15,528 But, I mean, when it gets to this point, it's not even about sustainability... 1122 01:13:16,492 --> 01:13:18,459 ...it was just... 1123 01:13:18,460 --> 01:13:21,129 You know, I don't feel real good inside. 1124 01:13:21,130 --> 01:13:23,231 It was the first time I've ever seen that. 1125 01:13:23,232 --> 01:13:26,232 So kind of... 1126 01:13:27,169 --> 01:13:30,169 Yeah. 1127 01:13:30,339 --> 01:13:33,339 I'd been so caught up in the destruction caused by animal agriculture... 1128 01:13:33,909 --> 01:13:36,909 ...I realized I'd never truly dwelled on the obvious reality... 1129 01:13:36,945 --> 01:13:39,514 ...that every one of these animals was killed. 1130 01:13:39,515 --> 01:13:42,515 It was always a disconnected, abstract fact of eating meat. 1131 01:13:42,885 --> 01:13:45,885 But when it became personal, face to face, the story changed. 1132 01:13:48,891 --> 01:13:51,891 I had scheduled weeks in advance to film another backyard slaughter... 1133 01:13:52,294 --> 01:13:54,529 ...of a chicken that stopped producing eggs. 1134 01:13:54,530 --> 01:13:57,530 I didn't know how I was gonna possibly go through another slaughter. 1135 01:13:59,201 --> 01:14:02,201 So I didn't. 1136 01:14:19,121 --> 01:14:22,161 Animal Place is a farm animal sanctuary in Northern California that focuses... 1137 01:14:24,827 --> 01:14:27,762 ...on rescuing animals from the animal agriculture industry. 1138 01:14:27,763 --> 01:14:30,843 A lot of people don't realize, meat-breed chickens like this guy behind us... 1139 01:14:31,834 --> 01:14:34,834 ...they're generally slaughtered at about42 days old. 1140 01:14:34,837 --> 01:14:37,837 Whereas chickens that are bred for egg production are killed... 1141 01:14:38,807 --> 01:14:41,776 ...when their productivity starts to decrease... 1142 01:14:41,777 --> 01:14:44,777 ...when they start laying less eggs. 1143 01:14:45,347 --> 01:14:48,347 And that generally happens about 18 months to 20 months. 1144 01:14:51,453 --> 01:14:54,453 It doesn't matter if you buy caged eggs, eggs from cage-free farms... 1145 01:14:54,890 --> 01:14:56,891 ...or free-range or pasture-based farms. 1146 01:14:56,892 --> 01:14:59,892 Hi, Carol. It doesn't matter. 1147 01:14:59,895 --> 01:15:02,895 Turns out there's a successful movement of sustainable animal-alternative... 1148 01:15:03,465 --> 01:15:06,167 ...food producers based right here in California... 1149 01:15:06,168 --> 01:15:09,168 ...funded by big names like Bill Gates and Biz Stone. 1150 01:15:12,241 --> 01:15:14,575 When egg-laying hens eat all that soy and corn... 1151 01:15:14,576 --> 01:15:17,445 ...you have an energy conversion ratio at about 38 to 1... 1152 01:15:17,446 --> 01:15:19,881 ...whereas alternatively you can find plants... 1153 01:15:19,882 --> 01:15:22,882 ...you can grow those plants and convert those plants into food. 1154 01:15:22,985 --> 01:15:25,985 The energy conversion ratio for the plants we're using... 1155 01:15:27,389 --> 01:15:30,389 ...to replace the eggs is about 2to 1, compared to 38to 1 for eggs. 1156 01:15:31,260 --> 01:15:34,260 So our explicit goal is to have the maximum amount of impact... 1157 01:15:35,497 --> 01:15:38,817 ...by creating this new model that makes the global egg industry entirely obsolete. 1158 01:15:43,005 --> 01:15:44,505 We're making Omega products... 1159 01:15:44,506 --> 01:15:47,506 ...proving we make better tasting food that's great for you... 1160 01:15:47,509 --> 01:15:50,509 ...and it takes one-twentieth of the land and resources that dairy do. 1161 01:15:52,981 --> 01:15:55,981 If you could have the fiber structure, satiating bite, protein... 1162 01:15:56,118 --> 01:15:59,438 ...and all the nutritional benefits of meat without having animal protein itself... 1163 01:16:00,422 --> 01:16:03,190 ...and by doing that you could address climate change... 1164 01:16:03,191 --> 01:16:06,191 ...the human health epidemics that we're seeing, animal welfare... 1165 01:16:06,595 --> 01:16:09,595 ...and natural resource conservation, would you make the change? 1166 01:16:09,865 --> 01:16:12,233 But what if people just ate less animal products? 1167 01:16:12,234 --> 01:16:15,234 Like going meatless on Mondays. 1168 01:16:17,606 --> 01:16:20,606 When you go meatless on Monday, you essentially contribute... 1169 01:16:20,642 --> 01:16:22,443 ...to climate change, pollution... 1170 01:16:22,444 --> 01:16:25,444 ...depletion of our planet's resources and your own health... 1171 01:16:25,447 --> 01:16:28,447 ...then on only six days of the week, instead of seven. 1172 01:16:28,584 --> 01:16:31,584 You're creating a false justification, clearly a false justification... 1173 01:16:33,388 --> 01:16:35,890 ...for what you're doing on those other six days. 1174 01:16:35,891 --> 01:16:38,891 So in other words, we really shouldn't be resting on our laurels... 1175 01:16:39,194 --> 01:16:42,194 ...of what you do right only one-seventh of the time. 1176 01:16:45,601 --> 01:16:48,601 You can't be an environmentalist and eat animal products, period. 1177 01:16:49,271 --> 01:16:52,271 Kid yourself if you want, if you want to feed your addiction, so be it. 1178 01:16:53,909 --> 01:16:56,909 But don't call yourself an environmentalist. 1179 01:16:57,412 --> 01:17:00,412 I knew I had to stop eating all animal products. 1180 01:17:00,616 --> 01:17:03,616 I wanted to help the planet be sustainable, but I needed to sustain myself. 1181 01:17:04,686 --> 01:17:07,686 I had doubts about being healthy and not eating meat, dairy and eggs. 1182 01:17:08,123 --> 01:17:10,691 All I knew was the standard American diet I grew up on. 1183 01:17:10,692 --> 01:17:13,692 Ls it even possible to be a healthy vegetarian or vegan? 1184 01:17:14,963 --> 01:17:17,963 Ls it possible to be a healthy vegetarian or vegan? 1185 01:17:20,535 --> 01:17:23,535 I became vegan for, let's see, 32 years ago now. 1186 01:17:23,939 --> 01:17:26,674 And I run several miles every day. 1187 01:17:26,675 --> 01:17:29,610 I go biking 40, 50 miles through the countryside. 1188 01:17:29,611 --> 01:17:31,245 I work long hours. 1189 01:17:31,246 --> 01:17:34,246 I feel great. It's nice waking up in alight, trim body everyday. 1190 01:17:34,716 --> 01:17:37,385 And so many of my vegan friends and patients... 1191 01:17:37,386 --> 01:17:40,386 ...are just thriving since their transition to a vegan diet. 1192 01:17:41,189 --> 01:17:44,189 So, yes, and I've seen vegan moms go through healthy vegan pregnancies... 1193 01:17:45,060 --> 01:17:47,061 ...and deliver healthy vegan children... 1194 01:17:47,062 --> 01:17:50,062 ...and raise them to tall, full-sized, intelligent vegan adults. 1195 01:17:51,199 --> 01:17:54,479 And, yes, certainly all the nutrients are there in the plant kingdom to do this... 1196 01:17:56,104 --> 01:17:57,738 ...that is correct. 1197 01:17:57,739 --> 01:18:00,739 Think anyone should be consuming dairy? 1198 01:18:01,543 --> 01:18:03,778 I really don't. 1199 01:18:03,779 --> 01:18:06,614 When you think about it, the purpose of cows' milk... 1200 01:18:06,615 --> 01:18:09,615 I did most of my growing up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. 1201 01:18:09,785 --> 01:18:12,785 The purpose of cows' milk is to turn a 65-pound calf... 1202 01:18:14,289 --> 01:18:17,289 ...into a400-pound cow as rapidly as possible. 1203 01:18:19,728 --> 01:18:22,728 Cows' milk is baby-calf growth fluid. 1204 01:18:24,232 --> 01:18:26,333 It's what the stuff is. 1205 01:18:26,334 --> 01:18:29,334 Everything in that white liquid, the hormones, the lipids, the proteins... 1206 01:18:31,239 --> 01:18:33,607 ...the sodium, the growth factors, the IGF... 1207 01:18:33,608 --> 01:18:36,608 ...every one of those is meant to blow that calf up to a great big cow... 1208 01:18:37,279 --> 01:18:40,081 ...or it wouldn't be there. 1209 01:18:40,082 --> 01:18:42,750 And whether you pour it on your cereal as a liquid... 1210 01:18:42,751 --> 01:18:45,751 ...whether you clot it into yogurt... 1211 01:18:46,455 --> 01:18:49,223 ...whether you ferment it into cheese... 1212 01:18:49,224 --> 01:18:52,224 ...whether you freeze it into ice cream... 1213 01:18:52,661 --> 01:18:55,661 ...it's baby-calf growth fluid. 1214 01:18:55,731 --> 01:18:58,666 And women eat it and it stimulates their tissues... 1215 01:18:58,667 --> 01:19:01,667 ...and gives women breast lumps, it makes the uterus get big... 1216 01:19:02,137 --> 01:19:05,137 ...and they get fibroids and they bleed and they get hysterectomies... 1217 01:19:05,474 --> 01:19:08,474 ...and they need mammograms and gives guys man boobs. 1218 01:19:10,045 --> 01:19:11,779 This is... 1219 01:19:11,780 --> 01:19:14,548 Cows' milk is the lactation secretions... 1220 01:19:14,549 --> 01:19:17,549 ...of a large bovine mammal who just had a baby. 1221 01:19:17,619 --> 01:19:20,121 It's for baby calves. 1222 01:19:20,122 --> 01:19:22,256 I tell my patients, "Go look in the mirror. 1223 01:19:22,257 --> 01:19:24,825 Do you have big ears, a tail, are you a baby calf? 1224 01:19:24,826 --> 01:19:27,826 If you're not, don't be eating baby-calf growth fluid." 1225 01:19:28,663 --> 01:19:28,829 In any level, there's nothing in it people need. 1226 01:19:28,830 --> 01:19:31,632 In any level, there's nothing in it people need. 1227 01:19:31,633 --> 01:19:34,633 It was a relief to hear I didn't have to eat animal products... 1228 01:19:34,669 --> 01:19:36,504 ...to be healthy and even thrive... 1229 01:19:36,505 --> 01:19:39,505 ...but I still thought you needed animal manure to grow organic agriculture. 1230 01:19:40,208 --> 01:19:42,209 Turns out there's an entire movement... 1231 01:19:42,210 --> 01:19:45,079 ...with people growing food without any animal inputs. 1232 01:19:45,080 --> 01:19:48,080 I visited Earthworks Urban Farm in Detroit. 1233 01:19:48,383 --> 01:19:51,318 They work with and grow food for the low-income community. 1234 01:19:51,319 --> 01:19:54,319 We tend to see ourselves as individuals in a bubble... 1235 01:19:56,725 --> 01:19:59,725 ...and forget that we in habit this land and this earth with other creatures. 1236 01:20:00,428 --> 01:20:03,428 So we have to learn how to share more, I guess. 1237 01:20:03,865 --> 01:20:06,865 Jah here is working on his garden. 1238 01:20:08,303 --> 01:20:11,303 You'd be surprised what you can do with not a lot of space. 1239 01:20:11,406 --> 01:20:13,340 About a4-by-8, yeah. 1240 01:20:13,341 --> 01:20:16,341 What's your goal this year? How much do you think you can maximize? 1241 01:20:16,711 --> 01:20:19,711 - I would push for 100 at least.At least. - A hundred pounds. 1242 01:20:20,549 --> 01:20:22,216 That's amazing. 1243 01:20:22,217 --> 01:20:25,217 The one full year after this was constructed... 1244 01:20:26,421 --> 01:20:29,421 ...we doubled our yield to over 14,000 pounds of food. 1245 01:20:29,758 --> 01:20:32,758 Fourteen-thousand pounds? On about how many acres? 1246 01:20:32,794 --> 01:20:34,628 About two and a half. 1247 01:20:34,629 --> 01:20:37,629 So as much food as we produce and we grow... 1248 01:20:37,666 --> 01:20:39,934 ...or the earth helps us grow... 1249 01:20:39,935 --> 01:20:42,837 ...we also have to return those nutrients back to the soil. 1250 01:20:42,838 --> 01:20:44,939 We think of our work as being regenerative. 1251 01:20:44,940 --> 01:20:47,940 That we're putting as much life-giving substance in the ground... 1252 01:20:48,810 --> 01:20:51,312 ...as we're taking out. 1253 01:20:51,313 --> 01:20:54,313 So is it just kind of healthier and safer to use vegetarian... 1254 01:20:55,250 --> 01:20:58,250 - ...or vegetable composting stuff? - Yeah, that's what we found. 1255 01:20:58,653 --> 01:21:01,653 But also because it takes less time and it's a lot easier to manage. 1256 01:21:01,957 --> 01:21:03,424 - A lot easier, yeah. - Yeah. 1257 01:21:03,425 --> 01:21:06,425 - And the soil is just as rich? - Yeah, absolutely. 1258 01:21:08,363 --> 01:21:11,363 Not only is veganic more compassionate, it's also more efficient. 1259 01:21:11,766 --> 01:21:14,766 And in a society with this many billions of people... 1260 01:21:15,170 --> 01:21:17,671 ...we need to be as efficient as possible. 1261 01:21:17,672 --> 01:21:20,672 Some people might go back and say if we embraced this primitive approach... 1262 01:21:22,878 --> 01:21:25,878 ...of only wild animals everywhere... 1263 01:21:26,281 --> 01:21:28,883 ...and we go back to, like, a hunter-gatherer system... 1264 01:21:28,884 --> 01:21:30,417 ...that sounds great. 1265 01:21:30,418 --> 01:21:33,418 But that was 10 million people on the entire continent. 1266 01:21:33,722 --> 01:21:36,722 Maybe a little bit more, a little bit less, no one really knows. 1267 01:21:37,259 --> 01:21:39,793 Today, now we have what? 1268 01:21:39,794 --> 01:21:42,794 We have 320 million in the U.S., 25 million in Canada... 1269 01:21:43,565 --> 01:21:46,565 ...another 100 and so-many-million in Mexico. 1270 01:21:46,902 --> 01:21:49,902 So, North America is up to almost, you know, 450 million people. 1271 01:21:53,208 --> 01:21:56,208 Trying to figure out away to bring animal agriculture... 1272 01:21:56,411 --> 01:21:59,411 ...in balance with450 million hungry people is impossible. 1273 01:22:03,952 --> 01:22:06,952 This is amazing, I didn't believe it when I first learned it... 1274 01:22:06,988 --> 01:22:09,957 ...but 216,000 more people are born to the plant every day. 1275 01:22:09,958 --> 01:22:12,226 Everyday. 1276 01:22:12,227 --> 01:22:13,961 It's extraordinary. 1277 01:22:13,962 --> 01:22:16,962 But what's really extraordinary is you need, per day... 1278 01:22:17,666 --> 01:22:20,034 ...34,000 new acres of farmable land. 1279 01:22:20,035 --> 01:22:22,369 It's not happening. 1280 01:22:22,370 --> 01:22:24,705 To feed a person on a vegan diet for a year... 1281 01:22:24,706 --> 01:22:27,441 ...requires just one-sixth of an acre of land. 1282 01:22:27,442 --> 01:22:29,743 To feed that same person on a vegetarian diet... 1283 01:22:29,744 --> 01:22:32,744 ...that includes eggs and dairy requires three times as much land. 1284 01:22:33,281 --> 01:22:35,983 To feed an average U.S. citizen's high-consumption diet... 1285 01:22:35,984 --> 01:22:38,984 ...of meat, dairy and eggs requires 18 times as much land. 1286 01:22:39,688 --> 01:22:42,688 This is because you can produce 37,000 pounds of vegetables... 1287 01:22:43,258 --> 01:22:46,258 ...on 1.5 acres, but only 375 pounds of meat on that same plot of land. 1288 01:22:48,930 --> 01:22:51,565 The comparison doesn't end with land use. 1289 01:22:51,566 --> 01:22:54,566 A vegan diet produces half as much CO2 as an American omnivore... 1290 01:22:54,803 --> 01:22:57,338 ...uses one-eleventh the amount of fossil fuels... 1291 01:22:57,339 --> 01:23:00,419 ...one-thirteenth the amount of water and an eighteenth of the amount of land. 1292 01:23:01,009 --> 01:23:04,009 After adding this all up, I realized I had the choice every single day... 1293 01:23:04,946 --> 01:23:07,946 ...to save over 100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain... 1294 01:23:09,718 --> 01:23:12,718 ...30 square feet of forested land, the equivalent of20 pounds ofCO2... 1295 01:23:14,322 --> 01:23:17,322 ...and one animal's life every single day. 1296 01:23:20,095 --> 01:23:22,963 If we all did go vegan and moved away from animal foods... 1297 01:23:22,964 --> 01:23:25,566 ...and toward a plant-based diet, what would happen? 1298 01:23:25,567 --> 01:23:28,567 If we didn't kill all these cows and eat them... 1299 01:23:29,371 --> 01:23:31,805 ...then we wouldn't have to breed all these cows... 1300 01:23:31,806 --> 01:23:34,806 ...because we're breeding cows and chickens and pigs and fish. 1301 01:23:34,843 --> 01:23:37,644 We're breeding them over and over again, relentlessly. 1302 01:23:37,645 --> 01:23:40,645 So if we didn't breed them, then we wouldn't have to feed them. 1303 01:23:41,349 --> 01:23:44,349 Then we wouldn't have to devote all this land... 1304 01:23:45,120 --> 01:23:48,120 ...to growing grains and legumes and so forth to feed to them. 1305 01:23:48,123 --> 01:23:51,123 And so then the forest could come back. 1306 01:23:51,493 --> 01:23:53,327 Wildlife could come back. 1307 01:23:53,328 --> 01:23:56,328 The oceans would come back. The rivers would run clean again. 1308 01:23:56,364 --> 01:23:59,364 The air would come back. Our health would return. 1309 01:24:02,637 --> 01:24:05,637 Renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar and wind generators... 1310 01:24:05,940 --> 01:24:08,776 ...to reduce climate change, that's a pretty good idea... 1311 01:24:08,777 --> 01:24:11,145 ...but it's projected to take at least 20 years... 1312 01:24:11,146 --> 01:24:14,146 ...and at least, minimally, $18 trillion to develop. 1313 01:24:15,350 --> 01:24:18,551 You know, it's important to realize that we don't have that long of a time frame. 1314 01:24:19,888 --> 01:24:22,888 We just talked about how it might be a four-year time frame... 1315 01:24:22,891 --> 01:24:26,092 ...so we don't have 20 years and we don't have $18 trillion to develop these... 1316 01:24:27,362 --> 01:24:30,362 ...so another solution to climate change: We could stop eating animals. 1317 01:24:32,967 --> 01:24:35,967 And it could be done today. It doesn't have to take 20years... 1318 01:24:36,371 --> 01:24:39,371 ...and it doesn't have to take $18 trillion, because it costs nothing. 1319 01:24:42,544 --> 01:24:44,745 Some say, "Fix CO2, then worry about methane." 1320 01:24:44,746 --> 01:24:47,907 It's the other way. Do something about methane, you'll get a response right away. 1321 01:24:50,985 --> 01:24:53,985 The most powerful thing that someone can do for the environment... 1322 01:24:54,155 --> 01:24:56,890 ...no other lifestyle choice has a farther reaching... 1323 01:24:56,891 --> 01:25:00,012 ...and more profoundly positive impact on the planet and all life on Earth... 1324 01:25:00,929 --> 01:25:03,929 ...than choosing to stop consuming animals and live a vegan lifestyle. 1325 01:25:07,535 --> 01:25:09,536 Do you realize 75 percent of Americans... 1326 01:25:09,537 --> 01:25:12,537 ...consider themselves to be environmentalists? 1327 01:25:14,008 --> 01:25:17,008 You don't think we couldn't solve this problem in a heartbeat? 1328 01:25:18,113 --> 01:25:21,113 I'll tell you what, all we would need... 1329 01:25:22,016 --> 01:25:25,016 ...is for the environmentalists to live what they profess... 1330 01:25:26,621 --> 01:25:29,621 ...and we'd be on a new course in the world. 1331 01:25:34,796 --> 01:25:37,464 We will not succeed until we stop animal agriculture. 1332 01:25:37,465 --> 01:25:39,032 And by "succeed," I mean... 1333 01:25:39,033 --> 01:25:42,033 ...we will not save ecosystems to the extent necessary... 1334 01:25:42,470 --> 01:25:45,470 ...we will not have enough food for people around the planet... 1335 01:25:45,740 --> 01:25:47,975 ...we will not stop global warming... 1336 01:25:47,976 --> 01:25:50,976 ...we will not stop pollution in the dead zones that run off... 1337 01:25:51,012 --> 01:25:54,012 ...all the fields of corn and soy that are grown to feed livestock... 1338 01:25:56,651 --> 01:25:59,651 ...and we will not stop the hunting of wolves and other predators. 1339 01:26:02,157 --> 01:26:05,358 Organic farming is one step in the right direction, but we need to keep walking. 1340 01:26:06,027 --> 01:26:09,027 We need to get beyond organics. We need to get to sustainability. 1341 01:26:11,833 --> 01:26:14,833 When you take the animal out, you take the greenhouse gas issue out... 1342 01:26:15,170 --> 01:26:17,171 ...you take the food safety issues out... 1343 01:26:17,172 --> 01:26:20,172 ...you take some other externalities related to food scarcity out. 1344 01:26:20,508 --> 01:26:23,508 But one thing that's amazing is I think you put our values back in. 1345 01:26:25,580 --> 01:26:28,580 You put values like compassion and integrity and kindness... 1346 01:26:30,585 --> 01:26:33,585 ...values that are natural to human beings, you put that in... 1347 01:26:35,023 --> 01:26:38,023 ...you build that back into the story of our food. 1348 01:26:38,693 --> 01:26:41,773 And I think as this begins to progress, I think it also helps people to pause... 1349 01:26:44,632 --> 01:26:47,501 ...before they eat that egg, before they eat that steak... 1350 01:26:47,502 --> 01:26:49,636 ...before they eat that chicken nugget... 1351 01:26:49,637 --> 01:26:52,637 ...and ask themselves, is that really what they want? 1352 01:26:53,875 --> 01:26:56,875 Or do they actually want something more? 1353 01:26:57,045 --> 01:26:59,046 I had to come to the full conclusion... 1354 01:26:59,047 --> 01:27:02,047 ...the only way to sustainably and ethically live on this planet... 1355 01:27:02,250 --> 01:27:05,290 ...with 7 billion other people is to live an entirely plant-based vegan diet. 1356 01:27:06,721 --> 01:27:09,721 I decided instead of eating others, to eat for others. 1357 01:27:10,225 --> 01:27:13,466 At first, like these environmental groups, I was afraid of what it'd mean to change. 1358 01:27:14,295 --> 01:27:16,029 But now I embrace it. 1359 01:27:16,030 --> 01:27:19,191 All this talk about sustainability sounded like our planet was on life support. 1360 01:27:20,535 --> 01:27:23,535 And I don't want her to simply survive or to sustain, but to thrive. 1361 01:27:24,672 --> 01:27:27,672 Life today is not about sustainability. It's about "thrive-ability." 1362 01:27:28,676 --> 01:27:31,676 She's given so much to us for so long, it was time to give back. 1363 01:27:33,014 --> 01:27:35,649 A hundred-and-eight percent of everything we have. 1364 01:27:35,650 --> 01:27:38,650 It felt good. It was an alignment. 1365 01:27:40,989 --> 01:27:43,989 And we see this movement, not just about providing cheaper... 1366 01:27:43,992 --> 01:27:46,992 ...inexpensive food that everyone can have, but also a spiritual move. 1367 01:27:47,295 --> 01:27:49,796 A move towards understanding who we really are... 1368 01:27:49,797 --> 01:27:51,798 ...and how we can connect to each other. 1369 01:27:51,799 --> 01:27:54,799 Do what you can do as well as you can do it... 1370 01:28:05,179 --> 01:28:08,179 We become part of a gathering momentum of other people. 1371 01:28:08,383 --> 01:28:11,383 It's happening. This is really what's happening. This is the new. 1372 01:28:11,786 --> 01:28:13,887 Selflessness is a nice way to be. 1373 01:28:13,888 --> 01:28:16,928 It has all these benefits for yourself, as well as the planet and other people. 1374 01:28:18,059 --> 01:28:20,661 So it's a beautiful way to live. 1375 01:28:20,662 --> 01:28:22,963 Ecologically, it just feels better. 1376 01:28:22,964 --> 01:28:25,666 This is about massively transforming... 1377 01:28:25,667 --> 01:28:28,667 ...how our society eats, because it's a necessity. 1378 01:28:30,071 --> 01:28:33,071 It's acting on what we know. 1379 01:28:33,141 --> 01:28:36,141 And acting kindly and gently on the whole planet... 1380 01:28:36,911 --> 01:28:39,911 ...and with other people to accomplish the goals of living better. 1381 01:28:42,317 --> 01:28:45,317 We can do it, but we have to choose to do it. 1382 01:28:48,056 --> 01:28:51,056 You can change the world.