Go Vegan to save the planet from global warming

Eating less meat may slow climate change

Ah yes, we've discussed something similar to this before, no? Interesting to see that now even "The Lancet" has joined in on the global warming research gold rush...I'm sure if I worked hard enough I could convince people of a need for and develop a more earth friendly Polymerase and sell it.

"Cows, sheep, and goats" are the bad guys here and yet really, think about it, how much sheep and goat consumption happens here in America? Not much...it seems to me the REAL enemy is not the people who raise the animals for a few months (or often much less) and then kill and eat them, but the maniacs (like yours truly) who KEEP these animals alive for long periods of time in order to use their various products like wool and milk (the latter of which of course requires breeding - though I suppose we could start a policy of mandatory cow abortions.) I mean at any given time, are there more dairy cows or beef cows in the world? Can anyone say for sure...the beef cows come and go all the time - like the half of one coming to my house this weekend (I'll offer Al Gore a toast while I grill the first steak). Actually, if this website is correct there are approximately 900,000 dairy cows in the United States, while this website reports that in 1999 there were only 85,000 beef cattle. Hello? Eating them is the problem??? I don't believe it...is there is a PETA agenda at work here? Naw...couldn't be. Anyway, I hope you all are ready to give up your meat, your wool socks, your milk (cow or goat), your cheese, for the sake of Mother Earth. Where will it end?

"If we ate less red meat, it would also help stop the obesity epidemic."

How do I say this politely? Crap, crap, crap...nothing but crap. Another desperate appeal to another "epidemic". Anyone see a pattern developing? Man, this whole vegan thing is a magic cure for so many catastrophic problems! It's amazing! Like Coca-cola, microwavable macaroni and cheese, potato chips, and Malted Sugar Bomb cereal wouldn't easily fill the dietary hole made by eliminating meat? Puhlease. Heck, dump that former stuff and stick to good quality meat instead and I'll bet you'd see obesity go down...not to mention getting our kids to play outside from time to time.

"But eating less meat could definitely be one way to reduce gas emissions and climate change."

By the logic of this story, shouldn't we wipe out all of the world's gas-ridden ruminants? All of us should get a hunting license and kill all camels, alpacas, llamas, giraffes, bison, buffalo, European bison, yaks, water buffalo, deer, wildebeest and antelopes. All hunting restrictions should be lifted and this would likely bring an end to poverty and hunger throughout the world - as surely as eating less meat would stop global warming and reduce obesity.

Comments

Liz in Seattle said…
Wow. When we went on a high protein, very-low-glycemic index carb diet, we were way healthier, and lost probably 150 lbs as a family. So much for protein contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Hmmm, guess I should read that first paragraph again.
Mimi said…
I have this theory - eating the right amount of calories and expending more than you take in is the key to losing weight.

Silly me. (although, I've been a vegetarian for 15 years.)
Liz in Seattle said…
Great theory :-) Works for me.

But it helps if your blood sugar isn't all over the map (in my case, from the carbs). Makes it easier to eat the right amount of calories.

In any case, I'm droolin' over that beef.
fdj said…
I suspect the obesity epidemic can be MOST blamed on us being carboholics as opposed to proteinoholics, combined of course with TV and video games.

This report is just LOOKING - desperately it seems to me - to persuade people to stop eating animals. I'm surprised they didn't find a way to tie meat eating to crime and gun violence and Haliburton.

I've found some conflicting data on the numbers of dairy vs. beef cattle..with numbers far larger than what I originally found...actually the numbers were all over the map which leads me to wonder if we really know how many cows are out there. However, one stat that does seem consistent is the distribution of cattle in the world:
The total world cattle population in the mid-1990s was estimated to be more than 1.3 billion head, with about 33 percent in Asia, 22 percent in South America, 15 percent in Africa, 13 percent in North and Central America, and 8 percent in Europe.

So, basically the largest number of cattle are found in the poorest parts of the world. Yeah, let's wipe our their sustenance.

And what about horses? You know, the rural equivalent of a city dwellers SUV?

I really have my doubts that the dinner plate is the most serious climate offender when it comes to ALL of the world's ruminants.

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