To begin, we must consider the percentage of carbon emissions constituted by livestock. According to bbc, "14% of all greenhouse emissions are from livestock". Furthermore, daily methane emissions range between 250-500 liters for an average cow.  This number amounts to an annual 3.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. When exploring sources of methane emissions, these are commonly from cows burping and farting.

Although you may wonder what these numbers have to do with our consumption of meat, the following process occurs: When individuals consume meat, there is a greater demand for these products. Thus, farmers are induced to graze more livestock, which ultimately results in greater carbon emissions. The problem lies in how the cyclical process continues to repeat.

However, this does not mean we must all go vegetarian. As habits need to be changed gradually, considering alternatives for meat can help reduce the carbon footprint of livestock.