A new Oxford University study pinpoints for the first time how high- and low-meat diets impact the planet.
I mean, that’s cool and I can get behind eating less meat, but in my lifetime I’m not convinced that people eating meat will be the major contributor to greenhouse gas reduction. This notion always sounds like putting the burden on common folks that are trying to live, rather than companies, countries and organizations that deliberately contribute.
These countries and organizations are destroying the world on our behalf. We like what they do, we buy their products, and we accept it all because it’s more convenient, tasty, or otherwise makes our lives better.
We need to do both personal and societal responsibility. We need to stop the pollution at the source AND we need to accept what that means. Stopping agricultural waste for example will mean things like expensive meat, less meat, more ugly looking vegetables, eating more plants. Otherwise it won’t happen. There’s no dream scenario where we stop the environmental destruction from an environmentally destructive thing and yet we still keep the thing.
This is exact right. Thank you for writing what I wanted to say.
I agree that the burden of the climate crisis should not be on individuals. However ideally, I would like everyone to reduce or eiliminate animal products consumption. It is habit leftover from times past, and today there are much better options for food, leather, etc. And animal agriculture really does have a large impact on climate.
Some reasons that people continue to eat meat at high levels is miseducation/marketing, convenience, and cost. These reasons could be brought under control by eliminating government funding for animal agriculture, prohibiting misleading advertising for unhealthy food, and shifting the healthcare system to prioritize preventative care. Unfortunately these system level changes are unlikely anytime soon, at least in the US. That is why raising awareness on the topic is important.
