Guest essay by Eric Worrall
Climate campaigners are worried that greens who go vegetarian to save the planet think they have done their bit.
Can vegetarians save the planet? Why campaigns to ban meat send the wrong message on climate change
Now more then ever, it’s vital that we continue holding transportation’s feet to the fire.
by Erin Biba / Aug.06.2018 / 3:34 PM ETWeWork, the co-working mega-giant, recently instituted a new policy at its office spaces across the world: No more meat.
Amid some backlash, the company said the decision was an attempt to reduce its carbon footprint and overall impact on the environment. And while this is a truly noble mission, if you take a deep dive into the science of climate and carbon emissions, the policy starts to look half-baked. For one thing, it perpetuates a ubiquitous myth in climate change messaging that individual decisions are more important than the actions of industry.
Worst of all, the growing campaign against meat is shifting the focus away from the world’s worst carbon emitter — the fossil fuel industry. (One popular Netflix documentary in particular has gotten a lot of attention, despite its egregious factual errors.) Caring about the planet — and trying to do something about it — is a noble cause. But with the stakes as high as they are, accuracy in messaging is important. Indeed, the Trump administration just announced it is still planning on rolling back the fuel economy mandate set by the Obama administration. Now more then ever, it’s vital that we not turn away from holding transportation’s feet to the fire.
…
But according to renowned climate scientist Michael E. Mann, who has worked on the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Assessment Report — the report that gives a status report on the global climate — the way WeWork has framed its message is misleading. “It let’s fossil fuels off the hook. It’s implicitly accepting the notion that climate solutions are voluntary measures,” Mann told me. “They’re important. But it’s really frustrating to me when they say eating less meat. When it’s framed as if influencing the political process isn’t part of the constellation.”
…
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/think/amp/ncna896811
Normally it is entertaining to watch climate advocates squabble over which misery to inflict on us first, but the compromise solution in this case will most likely be to try to restrict private use of gasoline powered automobiles AND restrict meat consumption.
Naturally important people like our climate heroes will be excused from any restrictions imposed on ordinary people, their tireless efforts to save the world more than justifies their large personal carbon footprints.
Climategate 2 email 3980.txt (Michael Mann speaking)
… Looking forward to seeing you in Tahiti, we can enjoy some nice tropical drinks w/ umbrellas in them.
where are you planning on staying by the way? I haven’t decided yet. The cheap options sound way to spartan to me, but the nicer options are so expensive!…
Climategate 2 email 3980.txt (Phil Jones replying)
…As I’ve booked the flights on frequent flyer miles, I’m wondering if I can convince myself (my grant) that I can justify the hotel…
Source: Wikileaks
Discover more from Watts Up With That?
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Yeah, that’s the thing about ALL progressive methodology – it requires FULL compliance across the board.
Only one exception – marijuana. That helps degrade the culture.
That’s one of the vices they use to attract the degenerates – sex, drugs, etc. – then they use it as a control.
I am a vegetarian. My reason is I attempt to only eat that which I would be willing to kill or harvest myself. Eggs are fine and so is dairy.
I feel that if I eat meat but am queasy or uncomfortable about killing and slaughtering animals I would be hypocritical.
I do not try to push vegetarianism as I think it is a personal choice and none of my business what others choose to eat.
My wife, who is not a vegetarian, thinks my vegetarianism is due to my Mom over cooking meat. My Mom, long since passed on, used to turn meat into something gray and quite tough. While Mom made excellent Apple pies her roasts were not only merely dead, they were oh so sincerely dead.
I do very rarely eat fish, as Dad was an avid fisherman and I have caught and killed a number of fish in my past. Mom once again only knew how to seriously overcook the fish which tasted more of burnt flour breading than fish.
I have tasted properly breaded and cooked fish and find it OK but not really something I want to go out of my way to eat.
I am not out to save the planet by being a vegetarian. Just reduce my own internal hypocrisy level.
On the other hand I do own guns for self defence so am in a slight quandary about my willingness to take a life in self defense. That would imply being willing to eat the deceased home invader which I have heard tastes somewhat like pork. Perhaps smoked cuts such as ham and bacon?
That’s called simply living your life as YOU choose. I have no problem with any of it.
That’s the thing about live and let live – it’s dependent upon LET live.
I hear you. My mother was known in the family as ‘the poisoner’. When I first met my wife I only ate raw celery and cereal ‘would you like some eggs?’ nope, don’t eat those.. “bacon?” nope, don’t eat that. Took me a while tentatively sampling things to discover food had actual subtle tastes and complex flavours and that charred acrid after taste I was used to was not the norm.
I admire your concerns regarding the taking of lives too. I have no hesitation killing things if the need arises for food or vermin clearing, but it’s not something I enjoy or seek out for pleasure – but that’s me. I get hunters, I just am not one.
I do hesitate at some of what you’ve said though, I know my wife really dislikes killing things, so I happily take on that role out of concern. there’s no hypocrisy there, it’s just pragmatism. I’m good at killing and dressing meat, she is not. I consider the whole meat industry an extension of the civil society working in harmony (with capitalism greasing the gears) such that the killers do the killing for those who don’t wish to kill. No hypocrisy ..
Interestingly my wife is Jaina descent, that tiny population of Indians who practice a philosophy that basically says ‘I have a right to life and wouldn’t want anyone to take mine, why should I view any other life as different?’ – The principle of not taking life for *any* reason is extreme and includes self defense – all life is sacred, with no reason being acceptable to strict adherents.
Her grandmother went bare footed to avoid squishing things, her diet included nothing that could give rise to life (grains and seeds) nothing from the ground like root vegetables (broken ground means things in the soil may die) – basically they graze, and her family are *tiny* people. most below 5′ , many below 4′. Even more interestingly they don’t preach – they’re aware everyone is on their own path, they’re tolerant of meat eaters and comprehend pragmatism.
I hope you find a comfortable place in resolving your dilemmas regarding food.
Got no problem with someone choosing to be a vegetarian. People telling me I have to be a vegetarian is what annoys me.
No, David, we are all predators, you included. We evolved that way. We need meat for proper nutrition. That we can let others take care of the wet work doesn’t change anything.
It will be a lot easier to cure diabetes, heart disease , and cancer with diet then it will be to cool the earth by not eating meat. I think the greenies found a weak link with the climate deniers – you can’t beat them with the science so start a food fight.
I recently discovered that the “local health food” co-operative sells chopped dried nettles for about 30.00£/kilo.
Sometimes I think I must have missed my optimal path in life.
pack up some coal dust, describe it as a ‘all natural eco-friendly high energy, zero carb health food supplement with no added chemicals’. Be sure to use the brown stuff with extra sulfur, the flatulence will assure them it’s working.
Someone beat you to it – Activated Charcoal Body Cleanse and Detox
what th.. well there you go, no idea is too stupid for these people.
sand? has anyone sold them all-new pure silicon dioxide digestive aid yet? Come on, there’s dollars to be made , the ignorant seem incredibly willing to hand their money over for the most idiotic things.
Once again vegetarians, pay attention. If you graze on grass like cattle, you will starve to death. Only beings with multiple stomachs and chew their cud can get nourishment from grass. Also, if the grassland is not grazed, it will die. A win/win/win for the earth, the cattle, and people. Grilled on a propane fossil fueled barbeque, medium rare.
They’ll take my Porterhouse when they pry it from my cold dead jaws.
I have just read through the 120 odd comments and believe that unfortunately most of you have missed the point.
The discussion isn’t between the amazing advantages of eaten tasty dead animals over soy, it is the point the article is trying to make. Going Veg has shifted focus away from the fossil fuel industry. This is their claim. Their words.
So taking their words to the logical conclusion, Vegans and Veggies are causing Climate Change(tm)!!!
So next time some malnourished green tries to guilt trip you over your commitment to saving the planet, just tell them you had steak for breakfast and cite this article. 😀
It’s all irrelevant anyway, because the majority of meat will be grown artificially in a few years.
The left waste their lives campaigning for things that evil profit-seeking corporations do anyway. What a sad bunch they are.
Liberals I engage with in the travel hacking community (flying in business/first using frequent flier miles earned mainly through credit card signup bonuses) justify their flying activity by the naive notion that “if I don’t take that seat on the plane, the flight will still fly anyway, so I’m not causing any emissions”. Nevermind the fact that them flying is part of the overall demand signal, and also that their extra weight does indeed burn extra fuel. So I guess we can take a similar tact. If I don’t buy this tank of gas, the refinery won’t shut down, so doesn’t matter!
Vegan. Think you are eating healthy?
Most vegans, those who don’t eat any animal products, and vegetarians, who don’t eat red meat, seafood, or poultry, are short on B-12. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found nine in 10 vegans had below-normal levels of B-12.
yeah 2 vegetarian mates have serious B12 issues as well as iron deficiency and both had to get infusions of both before they keeled over
both are also overweight, one drinks beer so that sorts her out
the other?
utter mystery she is a real and serious gluten allergy sufferer as well so snacks n bought foods are excluded, no fizz drink etc
can help but reckon a keto diet might be better for her, but thats for her to choose or not.
on that topic epileptics DO do a lot better on keto diets, so do they have to be guilty or risk death to please the vegie crowd?
Yes, had to start taking iron supplements regularly. I also take a multivitamin. What is odd about vitamins is that “over 50” and “men’s health” have no iron. Charge you more to give you less seems to be the theme. Vegetarians should take multivitamins that provide iron, which leaves you those for menstruating women. Lucky those are usually the best priced. Helps with the b vitamins also.
As for missing the point about vegawhatevers helping to cause AGW, one would first have to agree there is a dangerous level of AGW. Most commenters here are likely very skeptical about that so we talk about tangential topics that are more interesting.
Vegetarians – I always ask why do we have canine teeth?
it’s how they’re rooted
All the better to slash and rend those tough broccoli stems and crunchy celery stalks. Seriously, how many human carnivores use their canines? That is why we pound, let rot, and cook meat. The incisors do the cutting and the molars turn to a paste and the canines serve as fiber catch alls which is why the toothpick and dental floss industries are still in business.
In the UK there are many vegans in positions of influence in academia and on steering bodies appointed to screw us over using the Climate Change Act. Only some widespread defunding will defeat their vegan agenda.