Where's the beef?

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2ndRateMind
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Where's the beef?

Post #1

Post by 2ndRateMind »

It seems, I heard this morning on the radio, that the scientists think we need to limit global warming to around 1.5 degrees c to avoid widespread catastophe. The problem is, current trends put us at about 3 degrees c hotter.

One of the remedies they suggest is to reduce the consumption of meat, since meat production generates a whole lot of methane (CH4), and uses a whole lot of fossil fuels, which generates a whole lot of carbon dioxide (CO2). CH4 and CO2 are both green-house gases, which absorb more of the sun's energy in the form of heat than is needed to maintain the climate that we are used to.

One contributor I heard was advocating one portion of meat each, per week.

Let's assume they just might be right.

So my question is: would you sacrifice meat eating to save the world for your children, and theirs?

Best wishes, 2RM.

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Post #2

Post by 2ndRateMind »

Hmmmm.

Sometime since I posted this, and no answers yet. I am not sure whether to take the forum's silence as assent or dissent. Perhaps someone might care to enlighten me?

Best wishes, 2RM

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Re: Where's the beef?

Post #3

Post by Divine Insight »

2ndRateMind wrote: So my question is: would you sacrifice meat eating to save the world for your children, and theirs?
I don't have any children.

Still, would be totally willing to become 100% vegan to save humanity in general.

Why not?
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Re: Where's the beef?

Post #4

Post by Wootah »

[Replying to post 1 by 2ndRateMind]

No. Its just more state control.
Proverbs 18:17 The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.

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Re: Where's the beef?

Post #5

Post by 2ndRateMind »

Wootah wrote: [Replying to post 1 by 2ndRateMind]

No. Its just more state control.
Who mentioned the state, and just how does the state impinge on your decision whether or not to eat less meat?

Best wishes, 2RM.

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Re: Where's the beef?

Post #6

Post by Divine Insight »

Wootah wrote: [Replying to post 1 by 2ndRateMind]

No. Its just more state control.
The current "state" (at least the current administration) of the United States wants you to reject science.

So if you reject science you're doing precisely what the state would like to control you to do.
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Re: Where's the beef?

Post #7

Post by Wootah »

2ndRateMind wrote:
Wootah wrote: [Replying to post 1 by 2ndRateMind]

No. Its just more state control.
Who mentioned the state, and just how does the state impinge on your decision whether or not to eat less meat?

Best wishes, 2RM.
Ahh sorry. I already cut back. I think we should cut back on wheat and corn starch products.
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Re: Where's the beef?

Post #8

Post by Tcg »

2ndRateMind wrote:
So my question is: would you sacrifice meat eating to save the world for your children, and theirs?

Best wishes, 2RM.
Well, sure, if it would indeed do that. Unfortunately, as with so many methods to slow climate change, this would take a great deal of time to implement fully. Not for me to stop meat consumption as an individual, but for enough people to do so to make a major change.

For instance, if I as an individual stopped eating meat, that action wouldn't cause much pressure on my local food store nor on any of it's suppliers. Imagine however if everyone in that shops there did the same. They couldn't possible supply enough vegetables to keep up with demand without major changes.

Vegetable prices would jump which would allow the store to ship vegetables from more distant suppliers than they had previously. This extra distance would increase carbon emissions expended for shipping. Not exactly the result we'd hope for.

Local meat producers would need to shift to vegetable production or else face eventual collapse. I honestly have no idea what this would involve, but can't imagine it would be an easy nor an inexpensive transition.

Now imagine this on a global scale. How could we possible supply enough vegetables to meet the demand?

For this plan to work, we'd have to phase it in gradually over time. It could possible take decades to fully implement.

I'm not suggesting that we can't make any difference, but simply that it would take time to make a major impact. Of course if enough individuals make the transition away from meat consumption, that may be enough to begin the shift from meat production to vegetable production. Sadly, it won't cause an instant change in methane emissions, but could start a trend that over time would provide a lasting benefit.

To me, this is the frustration in addressing climate change. It is caused by slow changes in human behavior over many decades and probably can only be reversed by slow changes in human behavior over many decades.

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Re: Where's the beef?

Post #9

Post by 2ndRateMind »

Tcg wrote:
To me, this is the frustration in addressing climate change. It is caused by slow changes in human behavior over many decades and probably can only be reversed by slow changes in human behavior over many decades.
I would agree with this, and much of the rest of your post. The thing is, if we don't start to make such changes now, a year or a decade or a century hence, we will all most likely wish we had.

Best wishes, 2RM.

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Re: Where's the beef?

Post #10

Post by Tcg »

2ndRateMind wrote:
Tcg wrote:
To me, this is the frustration in addressing climate change. It is caused by slow changes in human behavior over many decades and probably can only be reversed by slow changes in human behavior over many decades.
I would agree with this, and much of the rest of your post. The thing is, if we don't start to make such changes now, a year or a decade or a century hence, we will all most likely wish we had.

Best wishes, 2RM.
I couldn't agree more that we need to make changes. My point is that we need a concerted effort to achieve this. It is a much more difficult endeavor than any one of us alone deciding to stop eating meat.

I wish it were as simple as that. I'm sure countless individuals would volunteer if it were.

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