The meat and global warming link just got a huge publicity boost.
Mark Bittman, author of Food Matters, vegan until 6, and food columnist/blogger at the NY Times, tonight appeared on what many consider to be the mother of all political talk shows (if you exclude the Daily Show) – the Colbert Report (1.3 million viewers)!!!
Bittman begins by explaining what it means to “eat consciously” and how we could help ourselves and the planet by adopting a more plant-based diet. He then explains the meat and global warming connection with help from Colbert!
Bittman was able to both talk about this subject seriously and play along to Colbert’s jabs. It was especially awesome to see Colbert read the statistics himself.
Those of us that have been talking about meat and global warming can now say “It was on the Colbert Report”. Enough said!
Some highlights:
Colbert: And my guest tonight is NY Times Food Columnist Mark Bittman! I’ll ask him what foods taste best grilled over a burning NY Times!
Colbert: You say that you are a vegan until 6 pm. But after that anything goes? Seriously? Does that just go for food?
Colbert: You say that feeding a family of four – a steak dinner, is the equivalent of driving around in a SUV for three hours with all the lights on.
Colbert: How does oil or fuel go into me having a steak? Bittman: It’s been said, by the United Nations that about a 1/5 or 1/6 of all greenhouse gases are produced by industrialized livestock production. Colbert: Industrialized livestock? Oh robot cows.
Bittman: We churn out 10 billion (livestock) a year in this country which means about 30 animals per person in the United States. We eat those, it increases global warming. To the extent you eat less of that meat you reduce global warming.
Colbert: You say if we ate 3 fewer cheeseburgers a week, it would have the same impact as taking all SUVs off the road.
Bittman: If we reduce the amount of meat and processed food in our diets, we’re losing weight, we’re making ourselves less susceptible to lifestyle disease, and we’re actually helping the environment and reducing global warming. It’s like, almost everything.
Colbert: If I could only eat one thing what would it be? Bittman: Uh…I dunno (Bittman hesitates…Colbert begins to end show) …cheeseburgers!
If you read the comments from articles about the impact of meat on global warming, it’s likely you’ll encounter arguments against vegetarianism, especially if the word “vegetarian” or “vegan” is in the title.
These arguments tend to be not only misguided but irrelevant as they shift the focus of the debate from “Should I reduce my meat intake to help stop global warming?” (the question we should all be asking ourselves) to “Should I be a vegetarian?” (the question you ask yourself after you try it out for a bit)
People who are Vegetarians do so voluntarily. No one forces them to eat meat, or give up their chosen diets no matter how unnatural they are. Why, then, must they try to force the rest of us to live their chosen lifestyle? Surely, they must realize that they are in the vast minority and eventually there will be a backlash against them & their totalitarian methods by the silent majority? They & the weak-willed politicians that give in to them, had better be careful of just how far they push us.
David Zimlin, Dunedin, Florida, United States
But you’ll also encounter gems like this one..
I was at the lecture. Dr Pachauri spoke in a personal capacity only and as a previous (omnivore). His figures come from transparent, international organisations and they are clear. If we took 1 meat free day each per week it would reduce CO2 emissions = 5 MILLION cars being taken off the road. The panel ALSO referred to subsidies of grain and welfare. If you want to carry on, selfishly and as usual feel free, but please go and discover another planet to ruin. I want to look after this one.
[inmyshoes], United Kingdom
As the last commenter shows, you don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan to talk about it – or to blog or twitter excessively about it. I’ll admit it. I’m not 100% vegetarian. I’m currently maybe 90% vegetarian (I eat a little seafood, and eat a little dairy).
Some might suggest this makes me a hypocrite, and might argue that advocating for a more meat-less diet must mean that I must also have a 100% meat-less diet.
But the numbers speak for themselves:
If the average American were to reduce meat consumption by just 20 percent, that would be the equivalent of switching from driving a Camry to a Prius. (source: Eshel, University of Chicago)
Beef production generates more than 13 times the total greenhouse gases from producing chicken. (source: Fiala, Ecological Economics, picture)
$20 trillion would be savedfrom the cost of fighting climate change if the global population shifted to a low-meat diet – defined as 70 grams of beef and 325 grams of chicken and eggs per week. (source: Stehfest, Climatic Change)
In my opinion, a small reduction in meat consumption (especially beef) from a lot of people is a relatively affordable and easy thing to do. Compare it to the efficiency and ease of green options such as biking to work or school, buying a Prius or installing solar panels (which are all great ideas). Eating lower on the food chain is the simplest and most “bang for your buck” green thing to do.
But the question of whether one should be 100% vegetarian or vegan is something to be answered with time… as it requires more effort, discipline, and practice.
Perhaps we all just need more frequent reminders that global warming is an imminent danger and very real. Afterall, it is why I blog about it and how I contribute to fighting it.
MSNBC’s “Countdown to Doomsday” explains the risk of thawing frozen methane:
For your information and amusement, I provided a Guilt Trip Rating for each video (GTR, 10 is high, 1 is low). In my opinion, videos with a low GTR are great for introducing this subject to someone. Videos with a higher GTR should be viewed with caution. Enjoy.
ABC’s Dan Harris narrates this well-made video made for a mainstream audience that helps us to visualize how the beef production process releases greenhouse gases. The second part (Step 2) of the video encourages viewers to also get an energy audit. Point made: there’s more than one way to stop global warming, eating less beef is a lot easier. Bravo.
For media types, documentary lovers. Guilt Trip Rating: 5
This is the trailer to a DOCUMENTARY on meat and global warming made in the Netherlands! I’m surprised I didn’t hear about this earlier. Takes an incrementalist approach towards meat-eating, mimicing Al Gore’s Powerpoint-style presentation in An Inconvenient Truth. Shows how one meatless day of the week helps.
For those who just pay more attention to a lady, or who need their hand to be held. Guilt Trip Rating: 3
A holistic, innocent, earthy, video blogger who gently lays out the stats and gives some nice homemade graphics :). Her summary: “Surprising solution beyond CFL lightbulbs, planting trees, & hybrids”.
Check out Rachel’s website at www.rachelavalon.com. She is trained in holistic nutrition, reflexology and massage therapy!
For those who wishes they could see something good in Glen Beck? Guilt Trip Rating: 9
As Google reveals, this is one of the most viral videos on meat and global warming out there. But be careful with this one. For those who don’t know, Glen Beck is a prominent right-wing talk show host, who thinks the global warming crowd is alarmist and being misled. It seems that his goal is to manipulate the subject of meat and global warming, as an “all or nothing” sort of issue – in order to further antagonize the skeptics, or to even divide global warming activists. This is my hunch at least. Beck never mentions the fact that one could simply eat LESS meat, though the PETA organizer does mention it at the end. Beck even prepared a video catching well-known celebrities and of course, Al Gore, eating meat.
Eat ANY meat? Guilt! Guilt! Shame! Shame!
However, it is nonetheless an informative video that brought attention to this issue, and includes some points I can agree with. Gore should bring up the impact of livestock on global warming. I just hope people aren’t introduced to this subject through Beck.
For science, whole-system types. Guilt Trip Rating: 4
This guy is great. Non-vegetarian and author who blogs at the NY Times about cooking, with occasional blog posts on the impact of meat on global warming. The video explains how industrial agricultural is to blame for our diets and for harming the Earth.
Summary from TED itself: “In this fiery and funny talk, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what’s wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it’s putting the entire planet at risk.”
For those who can take the heat. Guilt Trip Rating: 9
From MeatTheFACTS.org, A serious guilt-trip. Hits all the angles: global warming, deforestation, poverty, water, world hunger and starving children. No narration. Just the facts & ominous techno music mixed with a heart monitor, suggesting that the end is near. Which is probably true…
For everyone, literally. There are subtitles for 14 other languages. Guilt Trip Rating: 6
“Dr Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace, has said that people should give up eating meat at least once a week in order to help prevent global warming.”
One of many videos from Supreme Master Ching Hai, on meat and global warming. You may not agree with all of her spiritual views, but you can agree that she is channeling her energy for the planet. “Supreme Master TV” is a multilingual video channel which regularly emphasizes why and how to go vegetarian and vegan.
It’s very interesting to watch Obama’s respond to this question on the environmental impact of our diet. He explains that as a result of climate change and livestock production, the global food system is under immense stress – and says rising global meat consumption is a threat. He gives some tangible examples. He also ties the question to health, noting that the US healthcare system could save a trillion dollars if obesity levels were lowered to 1980 levels. YESiree. Of course, he says all this in a much more articulate and non-threatening sort of way. Yay, this is the president of the USA speaking!
The question – Nikki Benoit: Thank you, Senator, very much for your strong environmental position.
The United Nations actually has reiterated that factory farming is contributing more to global greenhouse gas emissions than all of transportation. I think that as a global community we really need to be the leader and moving more towards non-factory farming animal agriculture. It’s very egregious. There’s 10 billion land animals that we are funneling our precious water and grain through when 70 per cent of all of our grain could help feed the world’s hungry. So, as the next leader of the most amazing nation in the world, how can we set the example on the more nutritional, plant-based diet that’s more eco-friendly and sustainable, that can maintain our water resources and all of our grain. Thank you very much.
For everyone, particularly those who just need to hear it from CNN. Guilt Trip Rating: 3
The reporter, Alina Cho, talks about the facts while showing off some vegan food in action. She concludes by telling viewers that she is not saying one has to cut meat entirely out of his/her diet to make a significant impact (despite the story on veganism). Unfortunately, the video quality is not great.
Price of Meat 