Turtles and Unpopular Opinions
- Turtle in Chief
- Oct 28, 2020
- 4 min read
A glance at social media, current political campaigns, or articles written about climate change will comfirm that the belief in reducing meat consumption to lower GHG emissions is firmly entrenched in the popular consciousness. Eating less meat is nearly always mentioned as one of the top actions individuals can take to lessen their carbon footprint. The argument in a nutshell:
Agriculture uses land. As the global population grows, more food will need to be produced. This will put pressure on wild lands as new areas are taken for food production. More forests will be felled and turned into cropland or pasture. Current land use is inefficient because most arable land is used to produce feed (corn and soy predominantly) for livestock. Eliminating meat consumption and using this land to produce food for humans would be much more efficient. Furthermore, cattle emit large amounts of methane and must be eliminated for this reason alone.
Much has been written to refute this narrative. Most arguments rest on the following counterpoints:
Livestock can be raised in areas unsuitable for row crops.
Comparing animal versus crop agriculture on basis of weight is not appropriate because meat is more nutrient dense, and provides important protein.
Most corn and soy are not fed directly to livestock, who mainly consume dry residues after oils/sugars are extracted.
Ruminants can be used to build soil and can help improve marginal or played-out land, sequestering carbon in the process.
Cattle merely cycle carbon, and don't add new carbon to the biosphere.
The portion of methane emissions attributed to bovines has been grossly overestimated, using flawed research methods.
Internet searching with your favorite engine will turn up a plethora of articles arguing against the anti-livestock stance. Plenty has been written questioning the science behind plant-based solutions, and alleging a misleading narrative that cherry-picks the facts. However, the question that has not been adequately addressed in my opinion, is how did we get here in the first place? With zero consensus in the scientific community on the the best way to eat to reduce GHGs, how did the so-called plant-based diet come to be accepted almost universally in the public sphere as the best diet globally?
Allow me to suggest two divergent scenarios that might have come about in alternate universes.
Universe B:
You wake up and reach for your phone, start skimming headlines on news sites, stopping to read stories of particular interest, such as those covering climate change. A motif emerges, captured by the pithy slogan, "Waste Less Food." You read about celebrities and politicians taking up the cause and tweeting about the massive waste in the food system. Loads of Facebook pages are popping up, showcasing articles and discussions on the how's and why's of food waste and what you can do about it. Start-ups and community organizations that seek to harness and profit from the waste stream abound. You even see coverage of demonstrations behind restaurants and grocery stores where citizens are protesting dumpsters full of food.
As you peruse commentary on the situation, you're reminded that in the U.S. one third of all food is believed to be wasted, a staggering amount. Pundits inform you that, while a few researchers quibble over the exact figure (some claim a mere 29% goes to waste) there is total consensus among researchers, community activists, faith leaders, and elected officials that stopping food waste is a win-win-win situation.
Inspired by what you've read, you immediately eat up your leftovers, learn to cook, and rip out your garbage disposal. You've become convinced that eliminating food waste is the best way to reduce the carbon footprint of agriculture.
Universe C:
You wake up and reach for your phone, and start skimming headlines on news sites, reading stories of particular interest such as those covering climate change. A motif emerges, captured by the pithy slogan, "Eat Mindfully." You watch a Youtube video some hip 13 year olds have made to explain what industrial agriculture is and how it is destroying the biosphere no matter what is being produced. An ad pops up plugging the newest David Attenborough documentary that explores the dietary habits of indigenous people around the globe and how we can restore ecosystems and mitigate climate change by learning from them.
Celebrities are tweeting about the insanity of shipping food halfway around the world for processing, then back to its country of origin for consumption. Your friends are constantly sharing memes condemning reductionist thinking and promoting systems analysis, and exposing the absurdity of simplistic, linear solutions to problems in complex, interrelated wholes. (You appreciate the irony in this.) You sadly note that the family of one of your favorite journalists, George Monbiot, has placed him in a private psychiatric care facility for treatment. He'd been running around the Welsh countryside abducting sheep and raving about factories that will produce food from thin air.
Inspired by what you've seen, you decide learn as much as you can about the food you eat and where it comes from, realizing this is no easy task. You'll have to deepen your understanding of biology, politics, and economics, at the very least. You decide to grab the low hanging fruit, and head out to talk some local farmers.
Savvy readers will immediately recognize that while the universe of "Waste Less Food" is probably more realistic than that of "Eat Mindfully," the reason that neither came to be is the same: Popular movements to reduce food waste or educate consumers about how agriculture works would result in lower profit margins for big ag players. On the other hand, the "Eat Less Meat" movement, if successful, will allow those players to increase net earnings by producing high-profit-margin processed meat substitutes using existing infrastructure and supply networks. Cutting out the cow is good for business.
As always my opinions are my own and not necessarily shared by the turtles. Hope you enjoy the photos.
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