Chicken

____ environmental impact of chicken/ fish/ eggs ____ (compared to dairy, fruits/vegetables, and beef. ) Estimated carbon footprint, loss of natural habitat potential, loss of plant and animal life potential in natural habitat and/or extinction potential from making, packaging, shipping and/or using these products or services. ----------- + Except for CO2 emissions, estimates are based on Habitat, Life, Extinction Formulas v2 via ecofx.org. + Estimates do not include the possible long-term ecological effects of climate change and persistent toxins. Formulas use "human appropriated net primary production (HANPP)" to "CO2 emissions" correlation. ----------- 1 kg(kilogram) = 2.2 lb(pounds)     1 m2(square meter) = 10.8 ft2(square feet) 1 km(kilometers) = .62 mi(miles)     1 liter = .26 gallons
Chicken/ Fish/ Eggs - 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) CO2 from Sopris Foundation. #ref1 3%-7% is CO2 from shipping to retailer.	Some of the materials used to raise 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of chicken/ fish/ eggs. fertilizer, grain, pesticides, gasoline, diesel fuel.	CO2 released to raise 1 kilogram (2.2 pound) of chicken/ fish/ eggs. 5.96 kg 13 lb	Loss of natural habitat potential to raise 1 kilograms (2.2 pound) of chicken/ fish/ eggs. 4.6 m2 49 ft2	Loss of plant and animal life potential (in natural habitat) to raise 1 kilograms (2.2 pound) of chicken/ fish/ eggs. 14.3 kg 31.4 lb	How many kilograms of chicken/ fish/ eggs it takes to trigger 1 potential species extinction. 32.7 million
Dairy products - 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) CO2 from Sopris Foundation. Includes shipping to retailer. #ref1 3%-7% is CO2 from shipping to retailer.	Some of the materials used to make 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of dairy. fertilizer, grain, water, pesticides, antibiotics, gasoline, diesel fuel.	CO2 released to make 1 kilogram (2.2 pound) of dairy products. 4.13 kg 9.1 lb	Loss of natural habitat potential to make 1 kilograms (2.2 pound) of dairy products. 3.2 m2 34 ft2	Loss of plant and animal life potential (in natural habitat) to make 1 kilograms (2.2 pound) of dairy products. 9.9 kg 22 lb	How many kilograms of dairy products it takes to trigger 1 potential species extinction. 47 million
Fruits/ Vegetables - 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) CO2 from Sopris Foundation. #ref1 6%-11% is CO2 from shipping to retailer.	Some of the materials used to grow 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of fruits/vegetables. water, pesticides, fertilizer, gasoline, diesel fuel.	CO2 released to grow 1 kilogram (2.2 pound) of fruits/vegetables. 1.59 kg 3.5 lb	Loss of natural habitat potential to grow 1 kilograms (2.2 pound) of fruits/vegetables. 1.2 m2 13 ft2	Loss of plant and animal life potential (in natural habitat) to grow 1 kilograms (2.2 pound) of fruits/vegetables. 3.8 kg 8.4 lb	How many kilograms of fruits/vegetables it takes to trigger 1 potential species extinction. 123 million
Beef - 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) CO2 from Sopris Foundation. #ref1 1% of the CO2 from shipping to retailer.	Some of the materials used to raise 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of beef. fertilizer, grain, pesticides, antibiotics, gasoline	CO2 released to raise 1 kilogram (2.2 pound) of beef. 22.1 kg 48.6 lb	Loss of natural habitat potential to raise 1 kilogram (2.2 pound) of beef. 17 m2 183 ft2	Loss of plant and animal life potential (in natural habitat) to raise 1 kilogram (2.2 pound) of beef. 53 kg 116 lb	How many kilogram of beef it takes to trigger 1 potential species extinction. 8.8 million

Summary

The production of 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of chicken, fish or eggs results in about 6 kilograms (13 pounds) of CO2 emissions - including production of grains and feed, materials, production and shipping.#ref1 The loss of natural habitat potential from 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of chicken, fish or eggs is estimated to be 4.6 square meters (49 square feet).

Notes

"... a totally “localized” diet reduces GHG [green house gas] emissions per household equivalent to 1000 miles/yr (1600 km/yr) driven, while shifting just one day per week’s calories from red meat and dairy to chicken/fish/eggs or a vegetable-based diet reduces GHG emissions equivalent to 760 miles/yr (1230 km/yr) or 1160 miles/yr (1860 km/yr), respectively. Shifting totally away from red meat and dairy toward chicken/fish/eggs or a vegetable-based diet reduces GHG emissions equivalent to 5340 mi/yr (8590 km/yr) or 8100 mi/yr (13000 km/yr), respectively. #ref1

References

1. Sopris Foundation http://www.soprisfoundation.org/PDFs/DailyCarbonCalcs_May08.pdf

2. American Chemical Society http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es702969f

3. Scientific American http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-greenhouse-hamburger February, 2009 14.8 pounds of CO2 pound for pound [of beef]

4. Anderson, Kathryn (2007) Food, a paper for “Toward an Ethical CO2 Emissions Trajectory for Princeton”, p. 14: conventional beef averages 13.04 lb CO2e per lb ground beef.

External links

wikipedia:Chicken