Meat is a leading emissions source but few outlets report on it, analysis finds

"Food and agriculture contribute one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions second only to the burning of fossil fuels. And yet the vast majority of media coverage of the climate crisis overlooks this critical sector, according to a new data analysis from Sentient Media. The findings suggest that only about a quarter of climate articles in 11 major US outlets, including the Guardian, mention food and agriculture as a cause."

"And of the 940 articles analyzed, only 36 or 3.8% mentioned animal agriculture or meat production, by far the largest source of food-related emissions. The data reveals a media environment that obscures a key driver of the climate crisis. Meat production alone is responsible for nearly 60% of the food sector's climate emissions and yet its impact is sorely underestimated: a 2023 Washington Post/University of Maryland poll found 74% of US respondents believe eating less meat has little to no effect on the climate crisis."

An analysis of 940 online climate articles from 11 major U.S. outlets found only about a quarter mention food and agriculture as a cause of climate change. Only 36 articles (3.8%) mentioned animal agriculture or meat production, despite meat accounting for nearly 60% of food-sector climate emissions. Comparative coverage prioritized other causes: mining, manufacturing, and energy production (55.9%); fossil fuels (47.9%); and transportation (34%). Opinion pieces, syndicated stories, and passing mentions were excluded. Articles were collected with artificial intelligence and individually reviewed for accuracy, revealing a gap between emissions sources and media attention.

Read at www.theguardian.com