Almost 15% of global greenhouse emissions come from cows farting. That’s an exageration, but there’s some truth to it. Methane emissions from livestock, as well as associated land clearance and fertiliser use, contribute more to global warming than all the cars, trucks, trains, planes, and ships in the world combined.
Too much meat is also bad for our health. People in rich countries already eat much more than is healthy for them (and people in developing countries are catching up), pushing up rates of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. The average family in the UK, for example, would have to cut meat consumption by half just to get to healthy levels.
In June 2016, the Chinese government announced new dietary guidelines aimed at cutting meat consumption in China by 50%. Chinese consumers currently chow down on 28% of the world’s meat (and half of all pork), and the government hopes that eating less meat will improve public health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to one billion tonnes by the year 2030.
Proponents of such a move argue that they are not advocating global vegetarianism, but rather would like to see people globally consuming healthy levels of meat. If couched in terms of health and environmentalism, would efforts to put less meat on our plates be more palatable to consumers?
We had a question sent in from Tony, asking whether Europeans should be encouraged to eat less meat. To get a response, we put Tony’s question to Laura Wellesley, Research Associate in Energy, Environment and Resources at Chatham House (which is currently running a project looking at diets and climate change). How would she respond?
I do think we should be encouraging Europeans to eat less meat, at least at an aggregate level. Europeans are eating on average twice as much as experts think is healthy, but also far more than is environmentally sustainable. We know that livestock production and over-consumption of meat is a major driver of climate change, and unless we reduce the amount that we eat it’s going to be very difficult, if not impossible, to meet the targets that we’ve agreed internationally to limit global warming to 2 degrees.
For another reaction, we also put Laura’s question to Mike Rayner, Professor of Population Health at the Nuffield Department of Population Health. What would he say to Tony?
The simple answer to that question is: Yes. I think people should be cutting their meat consumption by about 50% or more. That’s what the Chinese have just advised their citizens to do, so that’s what we should be doing here as well.
We had a comment come in from Nando, who argued that eating meat is a central part of European food culture. So, how can Europeans be encouraged to eat more sustainably, given that meat is so important to our diets and way of life?
Should we all eat less meat? Would a ‘meat tax’ encourage people to eat more sustainably? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!
287 comments Post a commentcomment
YESS
In countries where mountains and a hilly and complex landscape covers the vast majority of the territory (e.g. Italy), raising sheep and cows is the obvious choice. In many places is the *only* thing to do. Do data take this in account?
Btw, a meat-tax is a totally crazy idea. If the problem are greenhouse emissions, then tax emissions. This way farmers with a smaller footprint don’t pay the price for unsustainable farms.
Educate the children at school about eating less meat, the effects of meat and sugar on their body, how to calulate their BMI and find the calories they need a day. My son is very eco-minded because of education at school. Children are the future. Start good habits there. And educate the masses too. Maybe label meat produce with nutritional food labels and daily requirement guidelines. Also mandatory labelling off GMO animal fed animals. Also people need suggestions for savoury alternatives.
There are LOADS of delicious vegetarian alternatives to meat.
A matter of personal choice. Hope this is not a prelude to another regulation, like the ones on the straight bananas and cucumbers.
Less pork meat!? Or not at all?! Good idea! People will be fit and less aggressive!!!!!.
I would really prefer to focus consumption on local/regional and seasonal produce instead of telling ppl to eat less meat. Your processed soy biscuits traveling from the other side of the planet would probably cause more emissions than a pork chop from a local farm/butcher.
Jérémy Derlande
Primarily we should eat all natural and local. This is real green policy enhance employment too.
we should get back to buy products from little farmers and local shops where possible… they might cost a little bit more but we can check where they come from and how the production works.
Yes.
However this requires both a change of laws and public mindset and will take some years.
It’s all about the amount. I eat meat but 2 times per week or so. In Greece for example they eat 5-7 times per week. If we all find this balance this will benefit the environment from the greenhouse gases
I love animals too much to eat them, from being a child I knew this.
no
we would like to know for the reason ?
i AGREE
YES
Totally yes.
Yes. The Europeans should start eat less meat. Meat isn’t necessary to the human survivor. We can get protein from vegetables. But we don’t need to be so radical, we can start eat less meat. For example you can start retire meat in one meal per day.
Had to ask. Should we kil less animals?
Dont kill animals, dont eat meat.
but by growing grass and using fertilizers you kill more animals
Yes, no doubt about it!
Yes. I alreadu do
Yes of course !!
Υew we should.
Υew we should.
What about those burning tyres,those burning rubish,those people who say stupid things and inhale and exhale,those formula racings…and so much more
What about those burning tyres,those burning rubish,those people who say stupid things and inhale and exhale,those formula racings…and so much more
Meat and animal products are totally inappropriate for human consumption, they compromise human health. Also, farming is the number one contributor to green-house gases. If we want to meet meet the Paris goals or the Sustainable development goals, we need to start with reinventing agriculture. Not to mention the ethical side of the story – there is an abundance of delicious food for which no one needed to die. Time to align our morals with our consumption patterns. Better for the planet, better for your health, better for our fellow animal friends. It’s as simple as that. Your turn, politicians! The pressure is on and there is no way around taking decision to reducing and ultimately ending consumption of animal products.
What sort of a question is this? What is shown on the picture can hardly be considered meat
Oh gawd let people eat what they want in moderation,,educate children to be more polite and have good manners and respect for others,
Of course ! Meat is Murder and is also causing a lot of illnesses .
You should be more concerned how some cultures kill there meat,,not how much is eatern,
Yes …Meat once a week and fruit and vegetables as well as legumes
Yes….
NO !
NO!
Yeah!
Bad idea! But, yes, it’s true that, overall a “meat tax” would reduce the meat consume. What I don’t agree is the tax itself. I think that this is a dangerous path that the European Union is following in order to reach its correct and justified goals: taxation. This method hits always mostly the poorer classes and raising the price of meat doesn’t necessarily mean that the rest of the food will become cheaper. I’d say that it would rather get more expensive. In my opinion the public education and a correct and accessible information on food and diets is the key even if it doesn’t have a quick effect like these “punitive” measures.
no! Alessio Guidolin Roberta Terranova
Eat only barbeque meat
I’d prefer not to be told what I can eat.
Yes, we need to eat less and pay more for the meet we do eat.
Ja,
I haven’t eaten meat for at least 30 yrs.!
Yes. Definitely.
And it takes 4 kilos of cereals to produce one pound of meat. You could eat the cereals. And maize is a water crazy crop, and the next wars are going to be over water supplies, for certain. In not too many ears vegetarians are going to be in a 100% majority when cattle are banned.
Simply not true. Animals are fed the waste of the food production for humans. If you abolish all meat production, you might have 5% more in corn production, but 70% fewer calories to feed the people.
No
Is this really what europe has to know?? While there are so many killings and threats from IS and other terrorism all around the world???! Who cares how much meat each eat??!
Piuttosto mi faccio vegana
Its normal that the EU citizens must be fed with more grass and less meat..By comparating the intelligence among carnivore animals and vegetarians defineteky must follow the sheeps nutritional example..Otherwise we will tranform all wolves..The quality meat and fish must be kept for the lions and the wolves of upper classes…
Yes, definitely. The methane emissions from cows’ digesting systems have a greater impact on climate that many CO2 emissions.
But the destruction of the soil through corn and vegetable production is exceeding any other contributor to climate change by far.
imi platie mult
Neste momento como 2 a 3 vezes carne por semana! :-D
Yes we should
Mind your business.its not a european topic..
siamo in crisi peggio di quella del 1929 , la gente non riesce a mettere insieme il pranzo con la cena e voi parlate di tassare la carne ??? Ma “le persone di altri pianeti “come dice Juncker stanno li a fare leggi che non stanno nè in cielo nè in terra ? Ma da quale pianeta sono sbarcati ? Piuttosto tassate o evitate le carni non europee , cosi magari si risolleva l’economia e qualcuno riesce a mangiare una bistecca
You have not understood the brexit…peoples want rurope to focus on main topics economy trade safety borders but shoul not interfere into everything….
Yes , Yes and yes
Aye, and another 15% of gases contributing to global warming is coming from folk spouting this shite.
We can…
Certamente, basta animali e derivati… staremmo meglio in tanti sensi…
Eating vegetables is healthy and less meat..
No, it is not and much more detrimental to the environment.
Yes we have to eat less Meat and it must get more expensive
I was actually wondering how long it would be before protein replication made meat farming non cost effective.
A hundred years from now I would not be surprised if real animal meat has become a luxury food I am not saying this would be all together a good thing.
Less halal meat of course
Stop feeding yourself s with dead bodies …..!
Yes we should.
I’m not saying you can’t debate this topic for fun sake. However if you are debating this while honestly believing you should not eat less meat then i honestly believe you should eat more meat.
Comecem por ir dizer aos esquimos para comerem MENOS carne …
^^ Good for you in UK
Keep us in EUROPEAN UNION out of your drug induced trips ….
Yes, we should eat less meat. Also we should eat less vegetable, drink less water, breath less air…
Oh yes….🐠🐟🐡🦀
Pois… se calhar,até comemos demais!
Definitely.
Definitely less meat of course, more vegetables. ;)
Já deixei de consumir carne há varios anos.
Less meat? One of the most intelligent things we could do
I am thinking seriously to get producing mushrooms. Healthy alternative to mushrooms
With a growing overall population the answer is – also scientifically – yes. I agree with some posts that mention it is necessary to educate in school about what intensive animal farming entails and that it is enough to eat meat twice a week. As much as Id like the World is unlikely to turn vegetarian or vegan any time soon, so we should do whatever we can to improve conditions with raised prices etc.
yes, it should be extra taxed
You notice how many of the dumb comments come from people not getting enough protein!
Definitely yes.
Até que enfim!
Should we stop eating rice? Also it creates a lot of methane ;)
I started some months ago to eat less meat ,and honestly i feel better 😀
Human’s need meat. If people choose not to that is up to them but they have no right to force their choices on others. Talk of ‘taxes’ is an outrage. What next, tax on water or the air we breathe?
Eating halal meat is not a problem, eating meat in mc Donald’s is a big problem.
MORE taxes? Oh go to hell! The only logical option is to enforce a more extensive approach to meat production. Allow the animals space and grazing. The meat will become expensive and healthier and productioj will be more ethical. Everyone will benefit except for the really poor wich is most of the population anyway. But they never seem to care for those…
Of course we should. Better yet: we should stop eating it altogether.
almost 50% of the hot air causing global warming comes from articles like this :D
The largest contributors to ‘global warming’ are the huge brain farts of people coming up with theoriies such as this. It’s a non-starter. By far the greatest contributor to real Agriculturally related environmental issues is the oil-based Agricultural technology in use today. Everything is literally ‘saturated’ in oil, from fertilizers and pesticides to the reliance on masses of fossil fuel energy for practically every Agricultural activity. The alternatives ARE there – both sustainable and beneficial to the environment. Agriculture could also massively reduce unemployment figures with the adoption of alternative and proven concepts like Permaculture. The technology and knowhow is available. It is government, industry and people’s concepts that must change, not the gaseous exchanges of bovine livestock and the consumption of meat. The Chinese are taking Permaculture methods hugely seriously, I would encourage the rest of the world to do likewise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBLZmwlPa8A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N225HDyIUe8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N225HDyIUe8
We can actually replace meat with insects. It’s easier and the protein content is similar to the beef. I tried some insects and they are not bad at all. They consume less water and energy, occupy less space and can be grown quick.
08/05/2018 Roberto Flore, Head of Culinary Research and Development at the Nordic Food Lab, and co-author of On Eating Insects: Essays, Stories and Recipes, has responded to this comment.
09/05/2018 Eustacia Huen, a food and culture writer, and contributor for ForbesLife, has responded to this comment.
I tried telling the ex that she tried to point the finger at me cheeky cow
Of course. Meat cannot be an industrial product since it comes from sacrifice of real lives. What if the world double its population? Should we create more cows to kill and eat? If we open our eyes wildely on it, we would see how cruel and unfair all of this is.
You may kill animals for eating in some bad case, but you can’t produce animals and handle them like a proper product.
Eu sou do peixe ; mas ando de desejos p /um cabritinho no forno ou borrego de ensopado, 😉 hehehe parece estar grávida ☺
I believe that meat is much cheaper than it should be. And vegatables are overpriced.
Solution? The unmistakable Mediterranean diet!
Ημαρτον πια !!!
Don’t mind me, I’m just sitting here with my juicy delicious hamburger playing spot the vegan in the comment section
Yes, but big interests won t like it. Interests based in red meat zone (northern and northestern european countries).
Nothing to do with the climate change discussions when the great and the good all fly in for a freebie get together when they could quite easily make conference calls from their offices……but then again they won’t enjoy first class flights, hotels lunches and being seen ……just a bunch of hypocrites
We can’t just do without meat… It’s a way of life
The simple act of reducing meat improves personal health and that of the planet too ! In recent published review “The Market for Sustainable Meat Alternatives we can see that the amount the Meat and Dairy industry are subsidised in the USA – being a staggering $38 Billion a Typical Burger now costing $5 dollars would cost $13 dollars , whilst the level of subsidy to Plant based foods in a miserly $17 million – The Livestock lobby is the food industry version of the NRA !
no doubt
Should the state and the eu stay away from the citizen’s dish?
.
Don’t be silly, when Turkey joins the EU you will all be eating only halal meat, but no pork though.
You all should… – Digs into stake…
Souvlaki , gyro we love.Are you trying to kill us?
Buy and eat EU products first of all…
It would be wise, not just for health reasons but also for environmental reasons. I see it as a personal choice
No
first, let us try send less food to the trash bin, that is the real problem; we waste millions of tonnes of food each year in Europe; that food needs water and soil to grow, so we waste those by throwing away food
Are you serious….did they also studied the effects of the brontausaurus the dinausors….the tyranausaurus etc when they farted?
Is is also an ethical matter. Industrialized animal farming is disgusting and morally unacceptable. We should increase animal worthy livinf conditions quickly in order to limit their suffering considerably
Nobody should oblige me or forbid me to eat flesh or fish or …
what? don’t force me what to do, there isn’t democracy anymore, I shall be free to eat whatever I want
Yes we should. And for those who argue against talking about freedom, freedom isn’t an absolute concept: your freedom ends where my freedom begins and vice-versa. There are health, environmental, ethical reasons for start teaching different food habits.
We should all eat healthier meat, fish and poultry, non-GMO fruits and vegetables, grown on soil that is not destroyed with chemicals. We can all eat less, and exercise more. Life should be healthy, so eliminate vaccines too, since we are at it.
.
Cows actually ‘burp’ most of the gas, not fart..
Other than that it’s a pretty pure subject for discussion.
You might as well cut out the question mark. It is for sure necessary to eat less meat. not only in regards to animal rights, but also in regards to environmental aspects.
You might as well cut out the question mark. It is for sure necessary to eat less meat. not only in regards to animal rights, but also in regards to environmental aspects.
YES ! High tax on meat and sweet , low tax on fruit and vegetables .
YES ! High tax on meat and sweet , low tax on fruit and vegetables .
Basically lets stop eating each other…
Cows are for milk and reports are for milking the financiers who pay them.Results at their will
Yes, let us all start by eating less meat and progress to less and less meat as we rapidly get used to the nutritious value and flavor of an all vegetable diet. Everyone will benefit. People, animals, the environment, small farmers, you name it.
You will also notice that your toilet will smell a lot less foul!
Yes, let us all start by eating less meat and progress to less and less meat as we rapidly get used to the nutritious value and flavor of an all vegetable diet. Everyone will benefit. People, animals, the environment, small farmers, developing and developed countries, you name it.
Depending what kind of meat are you eating…No OMG first.
as if methane was the only problem, you’re totally forgetting antibiotics and hormones to raise massfarmed animals. it is the mass-farming that is a problem, not the meat consumption.
yes
Should be anyone own, free decision.
Yes, 3 or 4 times every week and eat much more vegetables (every kind of vegetable) and fish
No.
no
No, instead we should start focusing on more importand problems tha Europe faces……
It was about time. At the editors: why don’t you write anything about the scandal of the car industry? Did the cat ate your tongue or is it that your hierarchy will be displeased?
You smug….
yes and give the surplus to me
Yes we should eat less meat .
Apparently yes. And specifically less cow.
Anyway, the problem is overpopulation, and globalization. UN recommend consuming products generated close to where you live instead of importing products transported from the other side of the world.
Many eat too much of everything.
Why?
https://media.giphy.com/media/3ornkaYb0ezq88cE5a/giphy.gif
Another things that would help would be if all restaurants were obligated by law to have a selection vegan-protein based meals on their menu. The only choices at restaurants are meat or dairy. This makes it difficult for health minded people who wish to reduce meat, environmentally friendly people, lactose-intolerant people, vegans and even vegetarians (who get bored with one cheese options only or the one veggie burger option). Also this would solve the additional problem of people being forced to pay full price when ordering a meal minus meat, over-priced starters or sides or over-priced salads.
We are supposed to have freedoms, that includes the freedom to eat meat without administrative punishment.
Which of course is a freedom that is predominant over the freedom of a living being to … well… live. Go humans! Doing a great job here…
We live in an opportunistic hierarchical world. Humans eat animals when they can… and animals eat humans when they can. Usually humans get to do the eating, as we are the dominant species.
If you think you should have equal right to animals I suggest you go ahead and open up your house or apartment to animals.. don’t exclude the little ones eather, don’t be a racist to cockroaches or the bloodsucking critters.
Another way to encourage healthy eating is to regulated prices of soy-based milks, tofu products and other vegan products as they have decided it is a niche market and charge ridiculously high prices for products made with cheaply bought main ingredients. This is not helping the healthy food movement when two bags of vegan shopping costs €100. It is currently a luxury lifestyle. The EU should make it affordable.
The E.U isn’t obligated to make any products cheaper because some people chose a certain lifestyle .Also people ate healthy before tofu and soy products, what people need is a balanced diet not vegan or meat heavy diets. The Mediterranean diet is the best example of a healthy and balanced diet.
Yes, the EU subsidies milk and meat industries to keep prices low and now wants to tax people-again. EU citizens pay for subsidies already and now will pay meat tax for consuming animals. Then encourage people to eat vegan which is again ridiculously expensive. The EU can find a solution to bring down vegan prices. They have a huge think tank. But their huge think tank came up with a solution to fleece people of their money from all food angles from animals to vegan. Also this debate is about less animal meat consumption not making everyone a vegan. So try not to panic.
No, absolutely not! :-)
Yes, it takes too many resources to produce.
No. Cows don’t make war. Steers don’t cause poverty. Beef isn’t the source of greed. No the four horsemen have other interests
Better stop drinking milk or using butter or eating cheese then as well
Yes!!
“As long as Man continues to be the ruthless destroyer of lower living beings, he will never know health or peace. For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love.”
― Pythagoras
On the Eating of Flesh
by Plutarch
1. You ask of me then for what reason it was that Pythagoras abstained from eating of flesh. I for my part do much admire in what humor, with what soul or reason, the first man with his mouth touched slaughter, and reached to his lips the flesh of a dead animal, and having set before people courses of ghastly corpses and ghosts, could give those parts the names of meat and victuals, that but a little before lowed, cried, moved, and saw; how his sight could endure the blood of the slaughtered, flayed, and mangled bodies; how his smell could bear their scent; and how the very nastiness happened not to offend the taste, while it chewed the sores of others, and participated of the sap and juices of deadly wounds.
Crept the raw hides, and with a bellowing sound
Roared the dead limbs; the burning entrails groaned.
This indeed is but a fiction and fancy; but the fare itself is truly monstrous and prodigious—that a man should have a stomach to creatures while they yet bellow, and that he should be giving directions which of things yet alive and speaking is fittest to make food of, and ordering the several manners of the seasoning and dressing them and serving them up to tables. You ought rather, in my opinion, to have enquired who first began this practice, than who of late times left it off.
Then should we kill everyone as the x billions of people fart at least 16 times a day. …..How rediculous…..
This comment is so ridiculous but it might bring solution to our problems !
The ignorance of some will help show the right path to others.
Yes!
This is not something one can debate. It is science. For most of people in EUROPE the answer to this question is obvious.
0 meat
OK, too much meat is not healthy, cigarettes and alcohol arent either, etc. Whatever said, I find it silly and annoying when EU is trying to impose its ‘world order’ on free people by telling them what to eat, how much water to use in toilets or who to accept in their home countries. Soon we’re going to be expected to go to bed at the same time, lie only on our left side and get up under EU’s orders :D
I once read that a certain species of gastrointestinal bacteria are responsible, not those poor animals.
Especially here in Greece, that is absolutely a thorn! Ahahahahah
Oh, I think I can help solve the problem of cows farting :D Why don’t you install cow catalysts to eliminate the methane emissions :D Sure, you could try the same with people farting :D And no, I’m not defending the meat lovers; I, myself eat very little meat and actually could do without it but not just because EU wants me to do it …
да
Les meat and better quality I agree .Unfortunately the alternative – all the vegetables we can buy in supermarkets are not the best quality sometimes even dangerous if they are consumed in large quantities .
Νο
Barbara is right. Less meat is ok, but don’t impose it on us. We are smart enough.
Definitely
A case of ignorance again. Eating less meat has counter productive results on any topic that is put forward for the reduction of meat consumption. If you replace meat with starch it has a detrimental effect on the health. 70% of the usable land is only to use for animal breeding. Vegetables and corn are much more detrimental for the environment than animal production. It would be much better to improve the conditions under which animals are raised. https://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_green_the_world_s_deserts_and_reverse_climate_change
There is no argument to eat so much meat, but a lot to decrease our consumption: environment, hygiene and public health, personal health, ethic (industrialization and treatments with suffering).
So a clear and big YES.
Of course you morons !
Yes.
The industry of meat produce more than we need ,thei cold focus on the cuality!
The caption is wrong. The vast majority of methane from cattle comes from the front end (belching) rather than the rear end. Get the facts right first, then have a debate.
Well maybe we should first define the we bacause I am sure that their are people who dont eat meat because they cannot afford it while you have others who indalge them selves in the best because they have to much Money.
Blame the animals for climate change!!!!!???? Humanity has now reached the level of self destruction.
We should eat more British meat
Yes. More vegetables
We should all trying to be the best versions of ourselves. A balanced diet is a good start for the physical part.
You right to talk about balance(we never choosed that hunter/gather culture, we just decide to avoid it for some gen.(where we went very wrong!)
yes, YOU should :)
Eat no meat
Yes. Large economic cost. Huge environmental waste. Huge (unimaginable) suffering on an industrial scale. 90% of large animals on this planet are humans and.. our livestock. That’s right, we outnumber wild animals 10 to 1! Our ecological and food systems are topsy-turvy, lop-sided, very fragile. We should try to eat only as much meat as is good for our health.
That’s just treating the symptoms rather than dealing with the root cause. Simply too many people.
No, David, we can host this amount of people if we just switch to a meat-free diet
The world has way, way too many stupid people.
‘This amount of people’ maybe, but world population isn’t static;
the rate of growth is increasing. Whether we eat meat or not is quite frankly a side issue – there will be far more significant and immediate issues to face.
In any event, there aren’t that many cattle in the world. The ratio is probably about 20 humans to each bovine (dairy and beef).
Craig, I am not sure where you get the ‘Huge (unimaginable) suffering on an industrial scale’ from. Happy to take you round a number of dairy and beef farms next time you are over.
meat is eaten, because it is labour efficient.
that is neither house wife nor crapola fast food chains have time to cook anything that demands labour.
Market shark s Will shapes the diet of people acc its interests with fake scientific reports
Add some awareness in the cult ure and even next gen may benefit. Fit? Lool
Add some awareness in the cult ure and even next gen may benefit. Fit? Lool
No.
We should eat anything we want without government regulations.
Can I eat babies?
Matej Zagorc Yes. It’s 2018 you know, it’s just a lump of cells…
Why not, as soon sa gays reclaim children, you can reclaim somes to do what you want!
There is no “We” in eating.
Don’t subsidise the meat industry or the feed for animals instead of taxing people over and over again.
I already, in fact since I’am kid, don’t eat so much meat. I don’t over consumme.
Definitely. We need to reduce the climate change effect.
You can suicide yourself, it’ll help…
If you support it’s a solution, start with yourself.
normally, we would say yes. But it turns out being a vegetarian is way worse for the environment. Most of the fruits and vegetables vegetarians eat have to be imported from another continent and importing produce on large ships is worse for the environment than eating a locally grown cow, pig or chicken.
yes that is true Adi… that’s why i eat meat like a motherf#**%@… i am all about saving the planet and having a nice bbq while i am doing it :D
Less meat would probably be a good thing (even though I have not seen a study yet that takes into account all factors related to switching to more veggies), but since we will probably have lab-grown meat soon, this discussion might not be relevant anymore in the near future.
I will go veg before I eat lab grown meat ..and Im a big meat eater
Eating meat is not bad but not everyday
Exactly what is meant by “less”? I’m not becoming vegan anytime soon but it doesn’t mean that I eat or even want to eat meat every day, so is it “less”? Actually, I’m not fussed about diets. Your body will tell you what it wants and needs. If you want some meat, then you currently need meat.
I wil never stop eating meat, but probably less than now 1 steak a week, and a piece of sheep , for the rest it is all Fish
The question now is not if we should eat less meat but when. The global population cannot sustain the growing demand for meat and the contribution particularly of bovine species to global warming has become significant.
Daniel Angelov :D :D
Нека – смъква се търсенето, пада цената :D
Yes. For all the good reasons: human health, animal’s rights, environment.
sim.
Yes!
Less meat is not only good four our health but also contributes to reduce global warming and polution. You only need to think about it for while to realise that!
Sooner or later if we don’t blow ourselves up in the mean time, will start to eat and consume more wisely, based on dietary needs and resources management. There’s no other solution. It is either that or extinction…
50 grams a day is more than enough!
yes it is possible. Aftr the war we had it once per week and we grew up healthy and well
Quality vs quantity
meat produce hunger…
Nonsense.
The china is not democracy there is freedom enough is enough.
There is not even little doubt that it is unethically to eat meat in rich EU Countries!
we should all mind our friggin’ businesses and stop telling people how to live their lives…
Cannot afford it to often.
Yes, we don’t need to eat meat. I would however teach how to get all the nutrients one needs and some cooking skills in school, as far too often people do not know how to balance a plant based diet. Then they blame a lack of meat.
Yes, lesse meat
No
Everybody is free to eat whatever he wants and as much as he wants.
Ceausescu likes this!
Yes. We should eat more lentils, beans etc.
Of course, less meat (or no animal products at all) is better. Less animal suffering, better conservation of resources, better health, etc. Nowadays there are many vegan/vegetarian products that taste very good, so there are less reasons to eat meat.
Where do you plan on getting your vitamin B12 from ?
Ivan
https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/nutrients/vitamin-b12/what-every-vegan-should-know-about-vitamin-b12
No!
I think red meat should be more expensive and be treated as something special. I am no vegan but hate to see poorly packet cheap meat rotting in supermarket shelves, that is so sad…
If it is to help the environment then going green energy is the most effective solution. Asking people to eat less meat that require animal protein for their nutritional requirements due to their metabolic and genetic type will harm their health. It is time to be more responsible when throwing around such information that can have detrimental health effects to so many people. I speak from direct experience as an ex-vegan still trying to recover my health after being harmed from removing animal protein and adding carbs to my carb-intolerant, fodmap-intolerant animal protein requiring body. I suffered from anemia (yes I supplemented and ate to the vegan standards), pre-diabetes (carb-intolerance), chronic migraines (carb-intolerance) and severe-IBS (fodmap intolerance, especially to the oligosacharide sugars found in beans, soy, onions and garlic). The vegan movement needs to come with a health warning that it is only healthy for the carb-tolerant and can harm the health of the carb intolerant. Lets be responsible when it comes to the health of adults and children. I now have none of the above symptoms on a low-carb moderate animal protein way of eating.
Great information in your response here! Educated me… I hope people on this thread take advantage of your vantage point.
Firstly methane comes from cows burping, not farting. A better question would be ‘Should Vegans mind their own dam business and stop trying to impose their un-natural diet onto everyone else ?’ If they want to ruin their own health fine but leave the rest of us to eat as nature intended.
Less meat, more insects… WTF
Yes. Yes!
Debate for nothing. It’s common sense.
Yes, eat less poor people
Anyone should be allowed to eat whatever they want, that’s democracy, the question is stupid.
Yes
Is that why its so expensive to eat meat.
Hahahahahahah
How much,if any, animal protein does a human need to eat each day to remain healthy?
America should decide
It’s I little bit stupid question
Different people
Different eating habits
Yes
It’s not heathy to eat Meat If its mor than about 300g a week
Yes , it isn’t a stupid question!!!! One, doesn’t need to eat every day meat , for breakfast, lunch and dinner …. c’mon ……
Absolutely
Yes
Yes
No…. what the paranoia
I know I should. The colon cancer is strong in my family.
No.
No
Probably…
Yes, we should eat less in general and consume less in general. We should also find more environmentally respectful forms of dealing with food in general.
The shift in dialogue from industry and transportation to meat consumption as the primary solution to climate change is intresting. In particular how all encompassing it has become.
Have you noticed that the environment is hardly mentioned. How about returning natural diversity which would mean substantial increases in fauna. Just think that in the US alone 60 million bison were wiped out and now the have 95 million head of cattle. Finland has 850,000 but with no historic reference as to numbers that existed before but you get the picture.
Let’s talk about real issues.
Certainly should consume less processed food, including “meat products”…but humans developed as omnivores.
Less heavily processed meat? Absolutely. However, meat is generally rather healthy, if consumed in moderation, and non intensive animal farming has had its long term greenhouse effects overstated (part of this comes down to how methane breaks down). Moreover, certain plant based alternatives are both uneconomical and environmentally damaging, especially soya.
Cut down on waSte
Different people have different nutritional requirements. I became vegan for two years and suffered the following health issues: prediabetes, anemia, kidney stone, chronic migraines with vertigo, severe IBS, acquired nut allergy. These were all reversed by a high animal protein, high fat, low carb keto diet. It is irresponsible, unethical and dangerous to assume one diet fits all, and to start deleting food from humanities natural diet, who are also beings of nature. My sister feels ill when she eats meat, my friend feels ill when she doesn’t eat high carb. It is dangerous to interfere with everyone’s unique nutritional requirements.
Less, but not none. Animals will have to be part of any sustainable agriculture.
Yes less meat… Even though I am a meat lover I suggest we eat less meat due to pesticides hormones and antibiotics that are used on animals… I have also seen videos of animals crying or having tears in their eyes before being slaughtered….
yep
We should eat what we want, just following our taste preferences! No ideology, neither religious nor environmentalist, will never select instead of me, what I should eat …than, it is necessary to consider the real impact of the ” alternatives”. If you eat a piece of meat, produced by standard european agricultor, respecting all the EU-laws, or, instead of that, a soya- substitute from southern America, which one do you thing has worse social impact ?
Less
Can see where this is heading, higher prices on meat
Of course.
This is an entirely individual and subjective decision that every person should have the right to make for themselves, regardless of social pressure to “save the environment”. We live in a free society and what food people eat is their own damn business. Society should interfere to help only if people don’t have enough to eat and are starving.