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GYO WANTS TO KNOW YOUR OPINION - please read this post, then take part in our poll

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  • GYO WANTS TO KNOW YOUR OPINION - please read this post, then take part in our poll

    In the GYO office, we were interested to read about Lord Stern's advice last week advocating vegetarianism as a way to combat climate change. Among the reasons for his view is that methane emitted from pigs and cows is a significant component of greenhouse gases. The author of the 2006 Stern Review on climate change and former chief economist of the World Bank said, "Meat is a wasteful use of water and creates a lot of greenhouse gases. It puts enormous pressure on the world's resources. A vegetarian diet is better." Figures from the United Nations show that the production of meat is responsible for about 18 percent of global carbon emissions. As a grow-your-owner, please tell us how you feel about the call to vegetarianism by taking part in the poll which accompanies this thread.
    78
    IF IT MADE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE, I'D GIVE UP MEAT ENTIRELY
    5.13%
    4
    I MIGHT REDUCE MY INTAKE SLIGHTLY
    21.79%
    17
    I WOULD ONLY EAT MEAT AS A VERY OCCASIONAL TREAT
    17.95%
    14
    I ENJOY MEAT TOO MUCH TO STOP EATING IT - I'D RATHER ACT IN ANOTHER WAY TO TRY AND HELP THE PLANET
    38.46%
    30
    I AM ALREADY A VEGETARIAN FOR REASONS INCLUDING WANTING TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE
    12.82%
    10
    YES, BUT NOT FOR THE REASONS GIVEN HERE
    1.28%
    1
    NO, BUT NOT FOR THE REASONS GIVEN HERE
    2.56%
    2

    The poll is expired.

    Last edited by RuthC; 02-11-2009, 01:41 PM.

  • #2
    I am very much a climate change sceptic. I don't doubt that it's happening, but I do';t think it's down to us. Just look at the nearest volcano if you want to start counting CO2 emissions.

    As for us all turning vegetarian, well, what a waste that would be. Sheep, cattle and pigs would still be around for wool, leather, glue, pet food (or are we going to force cats and dogs to be vegetarian too and ban all animal products), only the majority of the carcass would go to waste.

    Waste of water is misleading too. There may be droughts in certain parts of the world but here, in our country, summer and winter, we get flooded. We do have the odd drought, but that's down to bad infrastructure, over population and incompetent water companies. Other than that, we have plenty of water, and I won't be made to feel guilty because we can't bottle it and send it to those who don't have any.

    Incidentally, why is it suddenly called climate change and not global warming? Anything to do with the fact that in recent years we've actually seen global temperatures going down?

    I voted for the fourth option. Ideally I would have voted "I'll keep eating meat because the idea is a load of drivel."
    Last edited by pdblake; 02-11-2009, 02:06 PM.
    Urban Escape Blog

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    • #3
      Originally posted by pdblake View Post
      Anything to do with the fact that in recent years we've actually seen global temperatures going down?
      Oh, that's interesting - I didn't know that.
      Can you supply a link so I can read the research that says temps have actually gone down.
      All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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      • #4
        Look at what would happen if we all had a diet of veg, these people are complaining about methane now, don't they realise humans produce green house gas's as well.
        My own opinion is that figures can be twisted to suite what ever cause is in the headlines at the time, there's more methane gas produced in land fill sites and foreign industry's than what is produced by pigs, cows, sheep etc.
        Flooding, melting ice caps, global warming as they refer to it these days has been going on for millions of years, and will still go on long after we have all shuffled of his mortal core

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        • #5
          There IS a problem with global warming... it stopped in 1998 - Telegraph

          New Statesman - Has global warming stopped?

          http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/sc...th/23cool.html

          Admittedly not all say they are going down, but definately not going up.


          And one last one which admits they are down, but somehow manages to rubbish it

          World Climate Report Recent Temperature Trends in Context


          The trouble is that a lot of scientific reports are done on government grants and the 'right' answers lead to more government grants and opportunities for tax raising excercises. The few scientists who do put their neck on the block tend to get rubbished, though the official science is often lacking in precise figures. The IPCC has several models it uses to predict climate change, all using different methods and data to tell us what the weather will be like a hundred years from now. The MET office have one too and they can't tell us what the weather will be like tomorrow (in fact they don't always get their recaps right, "well, here's what it was like earlier today...").
          Last edited by pdblake; 02-11-2009, 02:46 PM.
          Urban Escape Blog

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          • #6
            I have no authority whatsoever to pronounce the way to go but I do have enough common sense to feel that if we all became vegetarian the 'world' as we know it would collapse for countless other reasons. Not the least poverty and the complete breakdown of global economics.

            As for carnivores' contribution to methane gas apropro herbivores, I can only give baked beans as an example.

            PS.......I forgot to tick the boxes. Never mind I will wait to see what way the wind blows/
            Last edited by SarzWix; 02-11-2009, 06:00 PM.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by RuthC View Post
              .. Among the reasons for his view is that methane emitted from pigs and cows is a significant component of greenhouse gases.
              I'm pretty sure there are more of 'us' humans in the world than there are pigs and cows

              ...and so - eating beans, jerusalem artichokes and cabbage doesn't make one fart then?
              aka
              Suzie

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              • #8
                I voted 'meat as occasional treat', but that would only be in the face of overwhelming evidence that livestock bred for consumption is a major contributor to greenhouse gases, leading to climate change.

                Personally I feel that until countries like America step up to the mark and significantly reduce their carbon emissions rather than cow-towing to the fatcats of the petrochemical industries, we are somewhat fighting a losing battle. Having said that, I continue to do what I can in terms of recycling, reducing energy consumption, growing my own fruit and veg and supporting our local farmers and producers.

                Its too simplistic to think that becoming vegetarian alone will be enough prevent climate change. The planet is in a natural cycle of heating and cooling relating to its oval trajectory round the sun, and certainly the human race and its industrial activity is affecting/exacerbating the effects of that cycle. We the human race cannot continue to plunder the Earths natural resources, use them up and belch the resulting waste back into the atmosphere. Governments cannot continue to say 'We won't meet our renewable energy targets because so-and-so country aren't going to meet theirs'. It doesn't work like that, the whole planet suffers.

                Rant over.

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                • #9
                  The meat production industry is a significant contributor to climate change (and it's called climate change as it covers all sorts of extreme events not just places getting hotter). It's not just the fact that cows produce a lot of methane, there is far more to it than that, not least the fact that most of those cows are fed on soy based foods which are shipped half way around the world and often grown in land which would be much better used for producing food to be eaten by humans. I ticked the occaisional treat box which isn't that much more than we do know as I love my veggies and feel that western society eats far too much animal protein for their own good anyway (for many reasons, not just enviromental ones).

                  Yes, big business needs to get it's act togheter, and countries like the US need to take a lead (I think things are changing there as Bush is no more) but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't do our bit also. Even if you don't believe in the warming arguement, the amount of waste and inefficiencies is almost criminal and that's before you consider the imbalance in world consumption. As said above, we should not plunder the world's resources and I feel strongly that we have a duty to look after our beautiful planet.

                  Not sure if anybody has mentioned the likes of China producing huge amounts of emissions - yes, they do, mainly in the production of cheap rubbish for the western market.........

                  Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

                  Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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                  • #10
                    In theory, the idea is okay, and I can accept that we all have to do our bit, no matter how trivial it might seem in the global scheme of things. However, huge areas in this country are not suitable for growing crops - we are fabulous at growing grass however. We can't eat grass, but grass feeds herbivores, which we can eat. I would rather shop local and eat meat than get vegetables flown in from Kenya.

                    Dwell simply ~ love richly

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Birdie Wife View Post
                      In theory, the idea is okay, and I can accept that we all have to do our bit, no matter how trivial it might seem in the global scheme of things. However, huge areas in this country are not suitable for growing crops - we are fabulous at growing grass however. We can't eat grass, but grass feeds herbivores, which we can eat. I would rather shop local and eat meat than get vegetables flown in from Kenya.
                      But that arguement assumes that the meat you eat has been fed exclusively on grass. This is extremely unlikely for the mass produced meat that most people buy at their local supermarket with no care for it's history. I eat only a small amount of meat but the meat that I do eat has been produced with a lower carbon footprint so tends to cost more - not a problem if you don't eat much of it though

                      Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

                      Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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                      • #12
                        Where's the 'I'm a vegetarian but it has nothing to do with climate change' button?

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                        • #13
                          I'm with the baked bean reasoning..
                          Hayley B

                          John Wayne's daughter, Marisa Wayne, will be competing with my Other Half, in the Macmillan 4x4 Challenge (in its 10th year) in March 2011, all sponsorship money goes to Macmillan Cancer Support, please sponsor them at http://www.justgiving.com/Mac4x4TeamDuke'

                          An Egg is for breakfast, a chook is for life

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                          • #14
                            I do find the points to vote for antagonistic. I'm a vegetarian but for not for the only veggie option provided
                            Never test the depth of the water with both feet

                            The only reason people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory....

                            Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.

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                            • #15
                              We don't eat a LOT of meat. I read the report: it was fantasy world stuff.. We need protein for our brains and bodies. Can't grow enough nuts (lead times of decades for trees), can't grow enough soya and sheep graze where nothing can be farmed.

                              I expect that grain fed meat will become much more expensive WHEN grain demand exceeds supply but as grain production can be rapidly increased whilst oil exists for tractors and fertilisers...

                              Anyway , the solution is population control. But that's unacceptable...
                              Last edited by Madasafish; 02-11-2009, 05:03 PM.

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