Eating meat creates four times more greenhouse gases than being vegan, landmark study finds
Meat-free eating found to have much lower environmental impact on land use, water pollution risk, water use and biodiversity loss
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How much greenhouse gas does does a private jet make? I'm tired of them putting it on the overburdened collective to do huge industry sweeping change, when we could swat down a few more private jets, regulate some industries better, and impose sanctions and other measures on countries that aren't cooperating and have major drastic impact with much less overall effort.
All flights, total, represent 2.5% of emissions
I'm a bit surprised but honestly didn't know. Seems like something that could maybe be a rider to a more impactful focus. Like if there was to be meaningful legislation on power production emissions regulations they could maybe tack on some regulation about private air travel. But yeah, that wasn't a great option to pick at.
I really just want to see us consider other things besides only things that as an individual, my participation is miniscually helpful. I do what I can, we try to live conscientiously, but I'm tired of being told to give up more when the biggest offenders have done nothing.
Lots of other things are being done. Individual contributions do help, but you're also one of 8 billion people.
The real solutions will come from the energy sector, capital moving to green/sustainable investment, and a long-term realistic transition away from fossil fuels. Until that happens, were basically just bailing water out of a sinking ship - helpful and important, but not something that will fix the ship.
Good news is progress is being made even in places hostile to such progress (like the US).
Right, I guess the progress just feels like it's not happening since I'm boiling alive on the daily. I just hope it's enough that the next generation won't have to suffer for the ignorance and greed that's brought this about.
I feel you 100% man. That's why I got involved - I felt like I needed to try to be some small part of the solution. Idk that we're making a ton of headway all the time (I lobby to Republicans) but I'd rather tilt at the ol windmill than sit idly by.
Private jets are bad, agreed... How about making the change to veganism and also campaigning about private jets at the same time? Picking a different item on a menu is all it takes for a people in a lot of places and it's t really the type of problem that humanity should be throwing everything at.
Speaking as someone who is plant based, it's a false dichotomy anyway. It's not "go vegan or eat lots of meat". People who don't share the vegan philosophy could just eat very little meat and make a huge difference to the planet, just like how I bike or walk to work but once in a while I drive.
I don't understand why everything has to be some lifestyle piece now. It's so all or nothing instead of taking the battles you can win when you can win them.
It's mostly an internet thing, especially a Reddit thing. I don't think it's as much a widespread culture as all that if you talk to folks who aren't terminally online.
I think you're talking about veganism exclusively and I'm more talking everything.
You can't just be someone who likes something or thinks something, it now has to be your lifestyle or part of you. You're not just a person who like riding bikes, your a cyclist and you have to strive to wear spandex and all that. I think it's pretty common when talking about phones where people will make the computer they keep in their pocket a statement about themselves.
Nah, I'm talking about everything. Tons of people still ride bikes for transport and don't identify as cyclists, or don't really care whether their phone is an android or iPhone. A large majority of people don't identify with little details of their lives like that, but when you go online into a specific topic there's a much higher chance of running into people who feel really strongly about it, because they're drawn to the topic and are participating in a subset of people who already tend to be really passionate about nerdy shit.
See I have those experiences while not online. Maybe it's a cultural thing but I feel like online people are often less about the lifestyle.
I can't remember the last time I saw someone make an Apple product their lifestyle online but I know of a handful in person.
Yeah, and furthermore, what types of meat you eat make an even greater difference. The worst offender is factory farmed beef, which produces close to a tenfold more emissions per protein amount than chicken, pork or fish.
One thing that surprised me when looking into this a few years ago is that chicken is a surprisingly carbon-light source of protein (note, emissions/grams of protein, not emissions/calorie) in the northern hemisphere.
This is why the purist arguments and preaching are incredibly counterproductive. We'd see a much larger reduction in emissions if everyone who ate a ton of beef ate chicken instead, compared to if everyone who ate chicken went vegan. This study even suggests you can have vegan diets which are worse for the environment than just having chicken.
I'm all for doing all of it. I am just making a statement that I am tired of it all being put on those of us with the least overall impact for the extensive amount of cooperative effort it takes.
I hear you! It's frustrating how much is out of our control. I find some people neglect to do what they can because some people, corporations or countries are a larger problem - sorry for mistakenly lumping you in with them!
All aviation creates 2% of the GHG. Food production is responsible for 25% of the GHG and could be reduced by 75% with plant based diets.
Interestingly though it could also but drastically cut by changing the diet of the animals. I was reading somewhat recently about how the addition of seaweed to the cattle feed culled nearly all methane emissions from the cattle. There is still the need to address the transport and humanity of the process involved, but the cow emissions are iirc a large part of that %.
Or just regulate these big factory farms more. Stop subsidizing these things Make it more expensive and people won't buy as much.
Making nutritious food more expensive is not a good plan. This only harms the poor and vulnerable. Holding the top 100 companies responsible for climate change is a much better starting point
https://peri.umass.edu/greenhouse-100-polluters-index-current
Nobody NEEDS to eat meat 3x per day. Subsidize healthy food options instead.
Animal products are incredibly harmful to the climate and are inherently wasteful.
Those corporations get their money from people like you.
Yes regulation would be the best to stop them but you know that's not gonna happen any time soon, especially when everyone refuses to change their own habits, politicians aren't gonna force through regulations that get people angry because they want their steaks.
Why do you want to continue to participate in something bad until it's legally not allowed anymore?
Why not do what you can (stop consuming animal products) while also advocating for regulation and political change?
What does holding evil corporations accountable look like if not refusing to give them your money?
The "top 100 companies" line misplaces blame because, as you can clearly see, they produce shit the world uses constantly (the top "emitters" are all fuel/logistics)
You can't "hold them responsible" without things like carbon taxes that are all politically non-viable in most places. The companies aren't emitting, themselves - demand for their products is the problem.
All those power plants aren't on as a hobby. They're powering homes. The emitters are the end users.