Weston Roundtable – Our Carbon Hoofprint: Meat and Climate

Speaker: Diane Mayerfeld, Senior Outreach Specialist, UW–Madison Division of Extension

What role does livestock agriculture play in climate change, and what should we, as individuals and as a society, do about that?  Is the answer reducing or eliminating meat from the diet?  Is it to use the tools of modern agriculture to reduce emissions by increasing the efficiency of meat and dairy production?  Or is it a return to grass-based livestock? In this talk, Mayerfeld will identify the merits and flaws of each of these proposed solutions and propose a more nuanced response based both on science and respect for food culture.

The Weston Roundtable is made possible by a generous donation from Roy F. Weston, a highly accomplished UW-Madison alumnus. Designed to promote a robust understanding of sustainability science, engineering, and policy, these interactive lectures are co-sponsored by the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and the Office of Sustainability.