Last week we had a people in New Zealand saying we need edible pets. This week we have England’s “premier climatologist” saying we need to give up meat. You first, me Lord. However, this sort of tactic risks marginalization of his cause. Poll numbers are already falling. What’s really needed here is “steak watch”. Since as we’ve seen with many prominent people who give worldly advice, they often don’t follow it, we need some British paparazzi at restaurants and public banquets to see if Lord Stern follows his own advice. When in Japan, maybe someone can offer him the new Windows 7 Whopper to try. Why no “OSX Snow Leopard” Burger? – Anthony
From the London Times: Climate chief Lord Stern: give up meat to save the planet
by Robin Pagnamenta, Energy Editor
People will need to turn vegetarian if the world is to conquer climate change, according to a leading authority on global warming.
In an
interview with The Times, Lord Stern of Brentford said: “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.”
Direct emissions of methane from cows and pigs is a significant source of greenhouse gases. Methane is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a global warming gas.
Lord Stern, the author of the influential 2006 Stern Review on the cost of tackling global warming, said that a successful deal at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December would lead to soaring costs for meat and other foods that generate large quantities of greenhouse gases.
He predicted that people’s attitudes would evolve until meat eating became unacceptable. “I think it’s important that people think about what they are doing and that includes what they are eating,” he said. “I am 61 now and attitudes towards drinking and driving have changed radically since I was a student. People change their notion of what is responsible. They will increasingly ask about the carbon content of their food.”
Lord Stern, a former chief economist of the World Bank and now I. G. Patel Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, warned that British taxpayers would need to contribute about £3 billion a year by 2015 to help poor countries to cope with the inevitable impact of climate change.
He also issued a clear message to President Obama that he must attend the meeting in Copenhagen in person in order for an effective deal to be reached. US leadership, he said, was “desperately needed” to secure a deal.
Read the rest of the article at the London Times: Climate chief Lord Stern: give up meat to save the planet
mercurior
Please give some evidence that the earth’s surface is 25% wasteland and desert in 1952 vs. 9.5% in 1882. Enviro nuts make lots of these types of claims and each time I examine them they are total fraud. Please post your pictures, sources, etc.
For example: In California – the central valley used to be a waste land, but after massive irrigation projects, it is now one of the most productive farmlands in the world.
For example: In Washington State – the massive Columbia River water projects have turned a massive desert into wine vineyards, potato fields … I can post google maps to show you.
For example: In Utah – the Mormons transformed a desert.
For example: In Israel – the settlers transformed a desert.
For example: In Egypt, China, all over S. America massive deserts are now productive farm land.
Only on the edge of the Sahara can you make any claim of increasing desert – which is an entirely natural process started 5,000 to 8,000 years ago. Everywhere else deserts are shrinking due to man, dams, and irrigation.
I’ll make you a $1,000 bet that the world has LESS wasteland and desert NOW then it did 70 years ago when the water projects really got going.
I’m sure you enviros probably call productive farms: wastelands of genetic uniformity in the service of the evil US Agra-business corporations. Of course, you ignore the fact that all species of animals enjoy the water and whole migrations of birds now rely on dams for their annual migration.
All the best
John
According to an Oxford University study published in the American Academy of Neurology September 9, 2008 issue of Neurology, vegetarians and vegans are six times more likely to suffer from brain shrinkage than meat eaters. Researchers speculate the loss of brain mass in vegetarians and vegans is due to a deficiency of Vitamin B12. This type of brain atrophy has been linked to Alzheimer’s Disease.
This might explain everything. At least where Lord Stern is concerned.
As an evolved an intelligent species I believe we should make a decision to not capture and kill another living thing.
How about plants? You think they are not living?
All animals kill to eat.
JC, I am not surprised. We are omnivores for a reason and that reason is that we need vitamins and minerals available only in meat. It reminds me that my cute little chipmunks are omnivores. They eat seeds and nuts that we feed them all day but when there was a downed hummingbird on the patio, it took no time until one of them was eating him. Kind of horrified me who was trying to save the hummer but then all animals kill to eat, even chipmunks who fit in your hand. I have many friends who are vegetarians and it takes work and supplements. I can’t remember the name of the man who said he was a vegetarian and had no problems but..he will.
So will the supplement cost of making us all vegetarians and the cost of growing double the food out weigh the cost of raising animals? I don’t think Lord Stern was serious, just another in the many scare tactics. Let me assure you, he eats meat and he eats well.
On another note, I think it is time to change how politics works. We are looking at corruption I have never seen or imagined before. I don’t think not voting works. I don’t think voting for either the Dems or the Republicans works. Time to vote for a party who are not all ready corrupted. I would suggest the Libertarians but take a look. I have no idea if they owe anyone.