Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has a soft spot for cheeseburgers. But eating his favorite food, Gates acknowledges, has come at a price.
“Cheeseburgers are my favorite food,” Gates wrote in a recent post on his Gates Notes blog. “But I wish they weren’t, given the impact they have on the environment.”
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Gates’ concern stems from the significant environmental degradation caused by animal agriculture. The production of one pound of beef requires approximately 2,500 gallons of water, and animal agriculture contributes to nearly 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
These emissions surpass those from all transportation combined and utilize nearly 70 percent of agricultural land, contributing to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and water pollution.
The use of land for livestock is extensive, with more than one-third of US land used for pasture. Animal…