Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumNew plant-focused diet would 'transform' planet's future, say scientists
theguardian.com
The first science-based diet that tackles both the poor food eaten by billions of people and averts global environmental catastrophe has been devised. It requires huge cuts in red meat-eating in western countries and radical changes across the world.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/16/new-plant-focused-diet-would-transform-planets-future-say-scientists
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)Zoonart
(11,916 posts)It's a process, buy it is good for the earth and really good for your body. I have been a vegetarian for 45 years and at 65... everyone thinks I'm 50.
Also. I am in great health and take NO medications.
My brother and sister-in-law, my cousins, all similar ages have relentlessly teased me about being a vegetarian...but I have none of their myriad health issues.
I was vegan for a while... but have added an egg in the morning back into my diet, because I like the shot of pure protein to start my day.
Your diet is as flexible as you care to make it. Good luck and good health to you.... and the planet.
wasupaloopa
(4,516 posts)JudyM
(29,294 posts)Would you consider posting in GD for wider audience?
littlemissmartypants
(22,869 posts)How about a cross post to the Health group?
delisen
(6,050 posts)Seriously.
I've got some association with the biotech industry, things like synthetic human insulin and Factor VII, miraculous stuff, saves lives...
... but in a perfect world we wouldn't need any of it, and I wouldn't want to eat the food equivalent.
I think corporations like https://www.beyondmeat.com/about (and others, this is not an advertisement) are doing a much better job of synthetic meat without hating yourself in the morning.
A long time ago I used to work in a place where the rabbit lab was one of the deeper circles of hell. Don't ask, don't tell. We kill cute bunnies here.
I don't imagine a meat growing lab would be any better, even if they had a yield of hundred tons of cow meat for every cow they killed.
delisen
(6,050 posts)zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)Not sure we can even tax our way to this kind of change.
The_jackalope
(1,660 posts)Look how well gasoline taxes have worked to cut global consumption after all...
[sarcasm]
People are incredibly resistant to forced changes to what they see as a birthright behaviour (like eating meat, burning gasoline and having children for example.)
As to how effective it would be for feeding a crowded world and helping to stabilize its growth, the example of Norman Borlaug should give us huge confidence.
Not.
zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)European taxes on gasoline worked pretty well over there to encourage efficiency and the use of public transport. Macron may have taken it a step too far of course.
The_jackalope
(1,660 posts)According to BP, Europeans consumed 16 MB per day in 1972, and 154 MB per day in 2017.
European CO2 production is similarly flat - 4280 MT in 1972, 4150 MT in 2017 with a modest 10% hump in between.
I don't think taxes work to decrease consumption. At best they just shift it around.
zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)I'd be curious what the per capita numbers are. There's alot of population growth over that time.
NickB79
(19,301 posts)Unless we're expecting large population declines in the next 10-20 years.
zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)But the question was whether taxes would encourage the reduction in oil consumption. That can only really be detected on a per capita basis.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,414 posts)since those were industrialised countries in 1972, and their combined population is the same order as the USA (a bit more in 1972, less in 2017).
USA (thousand barrels/day) 1972: 16381; 2017: 19880
Per capita 1972: 0.078; 2017: .061
Euro 4 (thousand barrels/day) 1972: 9315; 2017: 6907
Per capita 1972: 0.038; 2017: 0.025
So, per capita oil consumption went down in both areas; proportionally, more in Europe.
Figures (CO2 also available) from https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/en/corporate/excel/energy-economics/statistical-review/bp-stats-review-2018-all-data.xlsx ; population figures from Google.
zipplewrath
(16,646 posts)This seems to suggest that European taxes on gasoline and other oil based products does have the effect of driving down consumption. Although, to the larger point, probably not enough to actually reduce total consumption since the population is growing.
hunter
(38,353 posts)Taxes are for the timid. These sorts of regressive taxes don't hurt the obscenely wealthy, only the powerless.
--sigh--
I like the other thread better.
It's got beer.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1127122636
Thyla
(791 posts)Less than 2 and I'm not interested.