The two key ingredients in my black and blue burger were the beef patty and the blue cheese. Most U.S. beef comes from states like Texas and Nebraska, where cattle are raised on large-scale feedlots. Blue cheese is typically made from cow’s milk and is commonly produced in Wisconsin, which leads the U.S. in cheese production (Wisconsin Cheese, 2023).
The environmental impact of beef is significant. Producing just one pound of beef uses over 1,800 gallons of water (Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2010). This includes water for feed crops, drinking, and processing. Cattle also release methane, a greenhouse gas that traps heat more effectively than carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change (EPA, 2022). Blue cheese production has similar concerns—dairy farming uses large amounts of water and contributes to methane emissions. Growing feed for dairy cows can also lead to fertilizer runoff, which pollutes soil and waterways.
In terms of transportation, the burger was served at a restaurant in Colorado. The beef likely traveled by refrigerated truck from a processing facility, and the cheese may have come from Wisconsin, traveling more than 1,000 miles. The blue cheese was probably the ingredient that traveled the farthest. Other ingredients, like the vegetables or bun, may have been sourced more locally, but exact sources weren’t listed.
As for waste, the meal produced food scraps, paper packaging, and plastic ketchup packets. Most of this likely ended up in a landfill, where it may release methane as it decomposes. The plastic packets could take decades to break down and may not have been recycled.
These environmental effects happen at different scales. Locally, farming impacts water and soil in states like Nebraska and Wisconsin. But globally, methane emissions from beef and dairy contribute to climate change. While I enjoyed the burger in Colorado, the environmental impacts were spread across multiple regions, some of which bear more of the burden than others.
References:
Mekonnen, M. M., & Hoekstra, A. Y. (2010). The green, blue, and grey water footprint of farm animals and animal products. Water Footprint Network.
EPA. (2022). Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions
Wisconsin Cheese. (2023). Wisconsin Cheese Facts. https://wisconsincheese.com/about
USDA. (2023). Cattle & Beef Industry Overview. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/animal-products/cattle-beef/
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