Sunday 25 April 2021

Will Giving Up Meat and Dairy Save the Planet?

Estimations for the 'greenhouse gas' emission savings, made by adopting a vegan diet, range between 3 and 30% (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/apr/25/going-vegan-can-switching-to-a-plant-based-diet-really-save-the-planet). This discrepancy is because scientists (funded by different bodies?) do the calculations with different measures/ outcomes. Some authorities maintain that emissions should not be the prime focus. They say the impacts of changed farming systems on carbon sequestration, soil acidification, water quality and ecosysyem 'services' must also be considered. It has been estimated that, if meat and dairy production ceased (unlikely but?), global farmland use could be reduced by 75%. This would free an area equivalent to the US, China, the EU and Australia combined! That's an awful lot of land for reforesting or rewilding. Freeing a modest percentage could be very beneficial. The only meaningful things a private citizen can do to reduce climate change, are to alter his/her diet and transport. This may involve trade-offs. It's been calculated, for example, that going vegan for 2 years has the same saving impact, as forgoing 1 flight between Europe and the US. Rather obviously, as what individuals can do is limited, government actions are required to help encourage appropriate changes in lifestyles. A bit less meat and dairy consumption would be a start.

1 comment:

Paul Brain said...

This emphasises my point on Earth Day, that climate change cannot be prevented only by countries changing carbon dioxide output from energy production and motoring. Methane (a powerful 'greenhouse gas') is produced by cattle (meat and dairy production). So, we need changes to electricity generation; transport (especially flights) AND diet! Carbon dioxide AND methane have to both decline. We also can't expect everyone to become a vegan stay-at-home overnight. So, inducements are needed to alter mass behaviour (otherwise, people will take the attitude, 'what's the point of me doing this, when others just carry on doing what they do?').

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