Yep... I'm done... I've already pared back a lot; never buying beef (or any red meat) again :crying: Still not ready to give up poultry...
So the cows digest plant matter and give off methane. How does this methane differ from the plant when it dies and rots? Ever heard of "swamp gas / marsh gas" ?
Well, good for you (in both senses). Personally I prefer most other meats or fish anyway, and I'm also happy with eggplant (especially in a good imam bayıldı) or portabella. Good news is that pig meat is relatively low energy, so bacon's not too bad, even though it's carcinogenic.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/time-to-choose-watch-the-new-film-from-oscar-winner-charles-ferguson_565c5678e4b079b2818acee0 In This new Climate Change film by Oscar winner Charles Ferguson, at 57:02 Points to the rain forest being deforested for soy for animal feed and palm oil for snack foods and cleaning products, etc. If we don't eat less beef, we will need 2.5 the current land mass of Earth, just to grow enough soy to feed the cows.
Plants that die and rot naturally in air don't normally give off methane because the microorganisms use aerobic digestion.. Methane is produced by microorganismscusing anaerobic digestion. Corollary: if your compost heap stinks you're doing something wrong. So, swamp gas/marsh gas is an example where the decay is happening in anaerobic conditions, like, say, standing water.
Not a biologist but I believe it's a similar process but on steroids... in any case grasslands aren't typically a large source of methane... unless they're being used to raise cattle. CH4 concentrations are on the rise. Not as dramatically as CO2 but CH4 is also a more potent IR shield.
I like this way to start. I keep telling my kids that I need to be a vegan now that I have a Tesla, and I really, really want to be, for the earth, and all, but I love meat. I have been missing beef less and less as I've gotten older, so maybe this is the way to start. Sub fish for beef initially, but I still love chicken and pork and lamb and oh, my...hard choices. :cursing:
You mean like this kind of swamp/wetlands? Is this another reason to take a hacksaw to Florida? It's for the greater good!
Our decision has been to eat less red meat, not give it up entirely. I'm simply not willing to do so. Everything in moderation.
Good documentary on the subject. Covers all aspects carefully and thoroughly. http://www.cowspiracy.com (Streaming on Netflix)
Agreed! I've been off meat (though not off fish/seafood) for 40 years. Cowspiracy was an eye-opener, even for me. I thought I knew all the reasons to eat more plants.
*takes a bite of his triple cheeseburger* Huh? *continues to chow down* Yeah, you'll never get me to give up beef until we run out of cows. I don't care if I have to slaughter and butcher them myself. lol
This is where we are right now. I decided to just go full vegetarian for 9 months, and it was fine. The downside was having to please everyone at the table and cooking multiple meals, which eventually became a chore. It's hard enough in our house without dietary limitations. It also didn't help that I was cycling 30+ miles a day and trying to consume those calories without meat was a lot of eating. I fell off the wagon but our consumption has continued to drop. A "big" meat meal for this family of four includes a little over 3/4 of a pound of meat between us. I'm still working on the dairy thing, though...
Having decided that we don't need the extra protein, I quit meat at age 20. The smell of meat still makes me think I like it, but an occasional taste didn't help make it to my diet. That being said, there are lots of analogs out there, and some are really good. I especially like Worthington or Morningstar Farms, both of which make sandwich "meats" and fake bacon. They do NOT taste like meat (the fat is not there), but they are good. They also make fake sausage, burger, etc. These give your diet variety, and you can still build a burger, lots of ketchup, mayo, pickles, etc. Nobody thinks peanut butter fills all the niches. Good for you. I wish you success and contentment!
I, too, was a vegetarian for about 9 months when working on my MLitt...having a live-in vegetarian girlfriend will do that. A large red meat meal for my wife and kids (2 and 4) would consist of a ~2lb T-bone split between the four of us. My kids drink 2 gallons of milk a week...so dairy isn't going anywhere.
Weclome to the club! I took one environmental studies class 23 years ago then gave up meat. Raising cows for meat is one of the worst things we do to the environment. The fact that we grow corn then feed it to cows (who didn't evolve to eat corn) is a horrible use of resources. Also the runoff (down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico) from corn production creates a huge dead zone in the gulf where no fish can live. Anyone who looks into the way meat is produced in the USA can't in good conscience keep eating meat. I know it is a hard thing to do for anyone, but if a boy born and raised on bbq in TX can do it, you can too! Voting with your wallet is a great way to spark change.
