Would You Turn Vegetarian to Slow Global Warming?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Lord Nicholas Stern, the British economist who produced an influential report on the potential costs of global warming, is strongly urging the British public to go vegetarian in order to slow the accumulation of heat-trapping gases in our atmosphere. Said Stern: “Meat is a wasteful use of water and creates a lot of greenhouse gases. It puts enormous pressure on the world’s resources. A vegetarian diet is better” [The Times]. Stern also suggested that climate change legislation that makes it more expensive to generate greenhouse gases could soon force meat producers to raise prices, which might lower consumption. In a 2006 report, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) concluded that worldwide livestock farming generates 18% of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. By comparison, it said, all the world’s cars, trains, planes and boats accounted for a combined 13% of greenhouse gas emissions [BBC News]. The gases are produced by each step of livestock production. Take cows, for example. First forested land is cleared for cattle grazing or for agricultural operations that generate livestock feed, then there’s the methane emitted by burping cows and the nitrous oxide in their manure, and finally there are the energy costs associated with slaughtering the cows and transporting the meat.

Not everyone is calling for the drastic measure of eliminating meat entirely from our diets. Many experts agree that we could make a good start merely by dropping meat one day a week. This is what the citizens of the Belgian city of Ghent have been doing, voluntarily, all this year, without noticeable ill effects [The Times].

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/...global-warming/

[The_Dude 1,142]

No fvcking way. Get away from my steak hippy.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I don't eat that much meat - mainly fish. But because of GW.

IMO there are more environmental problems related to intensive agriculture in regards to cereal crops.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

No way. This is one of these things where we can have our cake and eat it. too.

Flatulent Kangaroos Could Save Planet

[pedroh 21]

nice try hippie, but no...

[HAL 9000 96]

It would be a drastic solution that may end up being forced on a future generation anyway due to decreased arable land. Yeah, that's right. Moving north with farms and ranches won't yield much arable land due to that land not being properly progressed for that kind of use.

Hopefully policy will follow the voice of reason on this and stem the major causative factors first so the catastrophic changes already in commencement won't hit our grandkids too hard.

[almaty 19]

yes....

[Joseph & Ana 0]

It would be a drastic solution that may end up being forced on a future generation anyway due to decreased arable land. Yeah, that's right. Moving north with farms and ranches won't yield much arable land due to that land not being properly progressed for that kind of use.

Hopefully policy will follow the voice of reason on this and stem the major causative factors first so the catastrophic changes already in commencement won't hit our grandkids too hard.

Its all about government control... nothing more.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

It would be a drastic solution that may end up being forced on a future generation anyway due to decreased arable land.

Nope, got that one covered, too.

Stem Cell Flambé

[HAL 9000 96]

It would be a drastic solution that may end up being forced on a future generation anyway due to decreased arable land. Yeah, that's right. Moving north with farms and ranches won't yield much arable land due to that land not being properly progressed for that kind of use.

Hopefully policy will follow the voice of reason on this and stem the major causative factors first so the catastrophic changes already in commencement won't hit our grandkids too hard.

Its all about government control... nothing more.

One day it might have to be.

Won't it suck if it turns out to be on a 'conservative' government's watch?

[Peikko 1,575]

I don't think many people understand farming. For instance, it's impossible to make a real wage in farming (without some form of government subsidy and you can't get rich), but it's possible to get incredibly rich in food manufacturing. Where is the sense in that?

[HAL 9000 96]

It would be a drastic solution that may end up being forced on a future generation anyway due to decreased arable land.

Nope, got that one covered, too.

Stem Cell Flambé

*Shrug*

I don't think many people understand farming. For instance, it's impossible to make a real wage in farming (without some form of government subsidy and you can't get rich), but it's possible to get incredibly rich in food manufacturing. Where is the sense in that?

I think we can just stick to the 'arable' part first... people think that because its going to get warmer up north (after the sea level rise), that all that soil is going to be ready for prime time farming. That simply is baloney.

[Nagishkaw 510]

I choose to be a vegetarian because the thought of killing animals and putting their dead carcass in my mouth makes me sick.

[Nessa 23]

no. me love me some meat. nom nom nom.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

It would be a drastic solution that may end up being forced on a future generation anyway due to decreased arable land. Yeah, that's right. Moving north with farms and ranches won't yield much arable land due to that land not being properly progressed for that kind of use.

Hopefully policy will follow the voice of reason on this and stem the major causative factors first so the catastrophic changes already in commencement won't hit our grandkids too hard.

Its all about government control... nothing more.

One day it might have to be.

Won't it suck if it turns out to be on a 'conservative' government's watch?

You watch too much V for vendetta. Yes movies predict the future...