Global Catastrophe of Increased Meat Consumption

#1

Rising global meat consumption ‘will devastate environment’

Can those who know critique this article? And more importantly critique the paper it’s based on.

(Ken) #2

This stuff has been debunked for quite some time. If you look are it in terms of resources needed per Cal of food produced, meat wins hands down. It’s the vegetarian type diets that require the most resources, especially for transportation, due to the typically low caloric density of the foods.

#3

The way we factory farm meat and veggies probably isn’t sustainable over the long run. The US consumes a disproportionate share of global resources. The planet can’t support other countries following in our footsteps.

On a individual basis, we can help by not contributing to the problem. As consumers, we vote with our dollars. We can buy our foods directly from the producers, bypassing the middleman. Sometimes this is local, sometimes it means finding a producer who ships or taking an occasional road trip. Our family buys fish, directly off the boat, 15 minutes away. The meat comes from a rancher 175 miles from us. Many of the veggies and fruit, from the farmers market. Grocery store purchases probably account for ~25%.

This is a good on several fronts. Its environmentally sustainable. It helps the entrepreneur and the local economy. The food is healthier for us. Its cheaper than grocery store organics (though not cheaper than the mass produced factory crap).

(Kate ) #4

Yes, this.
We are slowly working towards sourcing our food locally. In the short run, it does cost more; but, in the long run, is better for all involved.

(Crow T. Robot) #5

I’d love to, but there’s no point in it, and I don’t want to reward them with clicks.

There’s no point, because it’s the same old, tired vegetarian (Loma Linda, faith-based) argument of blaming meat for what the carbs did. Just the same as when someone gets sick eating burgers and fries every day, they blame the meat for what the processed carbs and seed oils did.

In this case, factory farming is a big problem and should be addressed. But blaming meat is just pure spin. Monoculture crops and bad farming practices are making the planet sick and are unsustainable. Properly raised livestock actually sequester carbon and can restore desertified land.
See this: https://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change

(Charlotte) #6

It’s also more humane, which matters to me personally. If I’m going to eat meat, I want to do my best to eat the meat of animals that weren’t essentially tortured for the duration of their entire lives.

(Crow T. Robot) #7

Far be it from me to defend CAFO’s, but this is mostly a myth. Even CAFO beef lives a basically normal cow-ey life until they get to the feed lot. At that point they are fed grain to fatten them up for a couple of months, but even that I wouldn’t call “torture”. The slaughtering process is quick and humane.

That said, we should be supporting properly and sustainably raised meat as much as possible.

(Charlotte) #8

Well, inhumane treatment of factory-farmed animals (especially chicken, pigs, veal) is quite well documented, which is why (along with many other reasons) I choose to eat meat from small local farms that treat livestock humanely. That said, I know doing so isn’t in everyone’s budget, so all any of us can do is the best we can with the resources available. I certainly wouldn’t judge anyone for eating factory farmed meat if that’s what is available and affordable for them.

(Mark Rhodes) #9

Check out Peter Ballerstadt. http://grassbasedhealth.blogspot.com/

OR

#10

All the more reason for cultivated meat. :slight_smile: