Durham University research found warnings of environmental or health impacts reduced choice of meals containing meat by 7-10%
People are used to seeing stark warnings on tobacco products alerting them about the potentially deadly risks to health. Now a study suggests similar labelling on food could help them make wiser choices about not just their health, but the health of the planet.
The research, by academics at Durham University, found that warning labels including a graphic image – similar to those warning of impotence, heart disease or lung cancer on cigarette packets – could reduce selections of meals containing meat by 7-10%.
It is a change that could have a material impact on the future of the planet. According to a recent YouGov poll, 72% of the UK population classify themselves as meat-eaters. But the Climate Change Committee (CCC), which advises the government on its net zero goals, has said the UK needs to slash its meat consumption by 20% by 2030, and 50% by 2050, in order to meet them.
How so? Cow farts? The grass is going to emit the same gasses whether it decomposes in a cow stomach or in the dirt. I guess the solution to carbon emissions is to pave the earth! No more organics polluting everything.
Methane comes primarily from livestock digestion (known as enteric fermentation) and the way livestock manure is managed. It contributes the most to agricultural emissions of greenhouse gases.
The second largest contributor is nitrous oxide, which results mostly from agricultural fertilizer application to soils and from manure management.
Carbon dioxide emissions come from increased decomposition of plant matter in soils and from converting lands to agricultural uses. Those emissions are partially offset by the increased plant matter stored in cropland soils.
Truth be told the nugget about the same gasses being released from digestion and decomposition was news to me, so thank you for that. My knee-jerk reaction was to refute it but I realized that I truly didn't know for sure. So I checked, lo and behold, I was wrong, and now I've learned something today.
Most cows eat soy which is produced on former rainforest grounds.
Additionally, we are better off eating/using what is produced on farmlands directly instead of feeding it to animals. That is much more energy efficient!
"soy cake" is the industrial waste from the production of soybean oil. exactly what i said. also, your estimate of how much soy ends up as animal feed was off by a lot.
85% of all soybeans are pressed for oil for people. that can't be true if 90% of soy production is for livestock. but i have the facts on my side. i'll accept your apology any time.
the oil is 20% of the bean. the oil is 50% of the value of the bean. the soybean meal is a by-product of oil processing. if we didn't feed it to animals it would almost entirely be wasted.
Most importantly cement. Believe it or not it's a huge chunk of pollution and requires a lot of energy to produce. Even funnier is the fact we do have eco-friendly cements but they are not being used because they are a bit more expensive and no demand.
Absolutely. Lots of places have building codes, this should be one of them. When the demand goes up, the price goes down. Don’t even get me started on car tires.