The ever-increasing cattle population is wreaking havoc on the earth's ecosystems, destroying habitats on six continents. Cattle raising is a primary factor in the destruction of the world's remaining tropical rain forests. ... Cattle are also a major cause of global warming. ... The devastating environmental, economic, and human toll of maintaining a worldwide cattle complex is little discussed in public policy circles. ... Yet, cattle production and beef consumption now rank among the gravest threats to the future well-being of the earth and its human population.