In the Journal of Climatic Change, a paper by Dr. Fredrik Hedenus and others meticulously documents the importance of reducing red meat consumption to reach key climate change targets.
The authors make the following points:
1. There exist only 3 options for reducing agriculture’s >50% contributions to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
a. Improve agricultural productivity;
b. Improve greenhouse gas mitigation technology;
c. Encourage human dietary changes.
2. After exploring these options, he writes:
“We conclude that reduced ruminant meat and dairy consumption will be indispensable for reaching the 2o C. target (for global warming) with a high probability, unless unprecedented advances in technology take place.”
3. The paper concludes:
“This conclusion carries even more weight when one considers that other GHG-emitting sectors, in particular energy, also face significant constraints in achieving very large [necessary] reductions.”
To read the complete article and abstract, click HERE.
Why Climate Researchers Urge You to Avoid Red Meat
In The Lancet lead author Dr. John Powles of the Institute for Public Health at Cambridge University, UK, writes that planetary and public health require a dramatic change in worldwide red meat consumption.
He makes the following points:
1. Methane and nitrous oxide from livestock production contribute substantially to global warming.
2. Reducing livestock emissions could rapidly curb global warming. The best way to do this is for people to eat less red meat.
3. Livestock production is projected to increase substantially over the next four decades.
4. Cutting red meat consumption in developed countries lowers the risk of heart disease, obesity, colorectal and other cancers.
5. Replacing ruminant red meat with meats from mono-gastric animals would reduce methane production and substantially slow global warming.
To read the complete article and abstract, click HERE.
Red Meat: Another Inconvenient Truth
Writing in the British Medical Journal, editor-in-chief Fiona Godlee references a 2017 article about red meat and states:
1. This large study (7.5 million American person years of observation by Arash Etemade and colleagues) is very well done.
2. Simply, death rates were lower in groups who ate more fish and poultry than red meat.
3. Article commentary by John Potter states: “Overconsumption of meat is bad for health and for the health of our planet.” Our ancestors consumed 5-10 kg/year. Modern diets have 5-10x this amount.
4. The ill-effects of red meat come from many different areas:
1. Carcinogens in cooking
2. Contaminants in animal feed
3. Reduced intake of plant-based foods
4. Accelerated sexual development
5. Antibiotic resistance
6. Food shortages
7. Disease epidemics
8. Water depletion
9. Methane production
10. Groundwater contamination
To read the complete editorial and access the article, click HERE.