The movement to get rid of cows grows apace, and popular burger joints like White Castle and Burger King (among others) have jumped on the faux-meat bandwagon. Their desire to save the planet is laudable, but are cows really the problem? Large ruminant mammals evolved to shamble around eating and fertilizing.  

The real problem, it seems, is how we have changed our cattle-raising methods over the past century. Examining how we manage the herd is the best way to determine the part cattle could play in a sustainable food system. Then, we can figure out whether the alternatives are genuinely better for the environment.