Summary
Highlights
The video opens with a stark warning about climate change, noting that carbon dioxide levels are already exceeding safe limits, leading to predictions of widespread drought, famine, human conflict, and species extinction. The filmmaker, Kip, recounts his initial environmental activism, inspired by Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth', and his efforts to reduce his personal footprint. However, he questions if these individual actions are sufficient given the escalating ecological crises.
Kip discovers a UN report stating that livestock produces more greenhouse gases than the entire transportation sector, shocking him as it contradicts the common focus on fossil fuels. Further research reveals animal agriculture as the leading cause of resource consumption and environmental degradation, responsible for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions (51% according to a World Bank analysis), fresh water consumption, land occupation, Amazon destruction, species extinction, and ocean dead zones. He highlights the vast water usage for meat production, comparing the water needed for one hamburger to two months of showering.
Frustrated by the lack of information on animal agriculture from major environmental organizations like 350.org, Greenpeace, and the Sierra Club, Kip attempts to contact them for interviews. He is met with silence and evasiveness. When he does get a response from the California Department of Water Resources, they avoid discussing animal agriculture's role in water consumption. Subsequent interviews with representatives from the Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, Rainforest Action Network, and Amazon Watch reveal a consistent pattern of downplaying or avoiding the topic of animal agriculture, despite its documented impact. Some interviewees acknowledge its severity, but attribute the silence to political and financial pressures.
The documentary touches upon the potential dangers of speaking out against animal agriculture, citing the assassination of Sister Dorothy Stang, a nun who opposed cattle ranching in the Amazon. Kip's own film funding is abruptly withdrawn due to the 'controversial subject matter.' Howard Lyman, a former cattle rancher who was sued for speaking out, explains the existence of 'food disparagement laws' and highlights how the powerful animal agriculture industry can silence critics through legal and political means, labeling environmental activists as domestic terrorists.
Kip challenges the notion that human overpopulation is the primary issue, arguing it's 'human eating animal's population issue,' as the 70 billion farm animals consume far more resources than the 7 billion humans. The film points out that enough food is already grown to feed 12-15 billion people, but a large portion is used to feed livestock, contributing to global hunger. It advocates for plant-based diets, which require significantly less land and resources to produce protein compared to animal products.
Kip investigates 'sustainable' animal farming practices, visiting a grass-fed beef farm and an organic dairy farm. He calculates that even grass-fed beef, despite claims of sustainability, is highly land-intensive and cannot meet current demands without destroying vast ecosystems. Dairy farmers admit the global unsustainability of dairy production. The personal experience of attempting to slaughter a duck leads Kip to a deeper understanding of the ethical implications of consuming animals.
The film explores plant-based alternatives to animal products and demonstrates that a vegan diet is not only healthy but far more resource-efficient than vegetarian or omnivorous diets. It showcases urban farms where food is grown without animal inputs. Experts emphasize that a global shift to a plant-based diet could effectively reverse climate change, restore ecosystems, and solve world hunger much faster and more cost-effectively than other proposed solutions. The documentary concludes with a powerful call for individuals and environmental organizations to embrace veganism, renaming their mission from 'sustainability' to 'thrivability' for the planet.