Fellow dudes. We eat a lot of beef. Eating less beef and more of nearly anything else would greatly reduce the climate impacts of our food choices. And we can still be manly men. - ThreadSky

waiterich.bsky.social • 159 days ago

Fellow dudes.

We eat a lot of beef.

Eating less beef and more of nearly anything else would greatly reduce the climate impacts of our food choices.

And we can still be manly men.

Comments

fcburleigh.bsky.social•159 days ago

I read that piece earlier this week and though it was quite good (tho I'm already primed to accept what it says). It does a nice job knocking down goofy old perceptions and doing some work on the marketing of fake meats and other diets.

Thanks for this nudge to us fellas.

katestew.art•159 days ago

When the Pickerings filmed my interview for I Could Never Go Vegan we spent the afternoon talking about a ton of ads that do this. When it came to the edit, BK were pretty much alone in letting them show a clip from that ad so that we could point out how awful it was. Which was curious.

howdidwegethere.bsky.social•159 days ago

One bit of good news on this front is that plant-based meat substitutes are getting a lot better-tasting, and it's looking like the future could be full of cell-line based meat products that might keep us in all the dietary protein we want but without the evils of factory farms
...

howdidwegethere.bsky.social•158 days ago

...tho if not well-regulated it's not hard to see how the meat-from-a-vat industry could turn awful and no less evil than the industry it's starting to compete with

I really hope we get good regulation in this space- without it, trust in the food supply will dangle below that of Soylent

waiterich.bsky.social•159 days ago

I actually wrote about this back in 2016! It was when our team had just spent a couple years analyzing the impacts of different diets on land use (deforestation) and the climate. Working closely on the issue made me re-examine my own food choices, which we make several times a day.

tomkimmerer.bsky.social•159 days ago

I became mostly vegan (plus fish twice a week) some years ago. My health has improved markedly. It turns out that saving the planet and saving our own lives go together. I no longer have any interest in meat, though it took a while.

victor.hogemann.com•159 days ago

Being conscious of your personal impact is important, but unfortunately is only a drop in the ocean when we consider the impact that companies, like Unilever and Nestle, have.

Real change will only come with government policies and laws that regulate the industry emissions.

victor.hogemann.com•159 days ago

The discourse is heavily shifted towards individual responsibility and that seems to me like a smoke screen to hide where the environmental impact is coming from.

annieleymarie.bsky.social•159 days ago

Most of us have a choice about buying from Uniliver and Nestle. It takes care, interest and time to be informed and make wiser choices, and we should clearly be better informed and supported (and these big corporations shouldn't even exist) but we bear some responsibility!

victor.hogemann.com•159 days ago

Take the entire world, how many do you think has the economic freedom to choose the food or products they can or cannot buy?

"Ecology without class struggle is gardening" -- Chico Mendes

annieleymarie.bsky.social•159 days ago

The biggest responsibilities lie on those who consume the most and tend to be the ones with the most opportunities to be informed (and the poorest, with the smallest footprints, don't use Nestle or Unilever much, if at all)

victor.hogemann.com•158 days ago

Sorry, that's backwards, the biggest responsibilities lie on those who PRODUCE, and those who have the economic power to influence LAWS and POLICIES from the Government.

Why can't companies do the right thing regardless of what consumers choose? It's all fueled by greed!

waiterich.bsky.social•159 days ago

Seeing some replies about "it's systems change that matters." True! That's why we launched the Coolfood Pledge in 2019 to help food service providers commit to a target to reduce food emissions 25% by 2030 - and measure progress each year. And plates are shifting! See: https://coolfood.org/news-and-updates/pledgeupdate2022/

waiterich.bsky.social•159 days ago

Also seeing "what about fossil fuels," "what about China," etc. Of course fossil fuels are the #1 source of GHG emissions (food systems are #2). But emissions from beef production are ~3 billion tons CO2e/yr. And there's much to be done on both the production & consumption side to reduce emissions.

timlagor.bsky.social•156 days ago

michaelbishop.bsky.social•159 days ago

Individual change is part of systemic change. The IPCC says we must go vegan if we are to make a serious impact.

waiterich.bsky.social•159 days ago

Agree individual change is part of systemic change, as systems are made up of individuals.

Also agree recent IPCC reports point out the importance of dietary change for GHG mitigation.

I'm not familiar with an IPCC document that says "we must go vegan." Do you have a link/source?

michaelbishop.bsky.social•159 days ago

Whole industries are dependent upon animals. The leather industry alone requires 1.4 billion cows, goats and sheep a year to produce shoes and other goods. Changing ones diet to less meat/dairy won't make much of an impact since animals will still be killed for leather.

timlagor.bsky.social•156 days ago

Leather is a tiny fraction of meat and even then it could be reduced

annieleymarie.bsky.social•159 days ago

I believe IPCC just says that diet shifts are the most potent demand side action. But it's not all about climate! We've overstepped 'planetary boundaries' in many other ways than climate, with food choices playing a big part in many (air & water pollution, etc)

timlagor.bsky.social•156 days ago

Clearly that's not the case. Going Vegan would be great but just cutting beef would be a big impact and cutting by 50% is fully half of the effect of complete elimination

markzecwrites.bsky.social•159 days ago

I started changing my diet almost 20 years ago after a cancer diagnosis, and in the process improved my health (270 pounds lost, and now maintained for almost 5 years) and my impact on the planet. I'm not animal protein-free, but I limit it to no more than 3 oz per day, with many days eating none.

jordantcarlson.bsky.social•159 days ago

I did this around the same time. Pork and chicken as main meats (I know too many people who do research on fisheries stocks...), sometimes eggs, some cheese. Beef 1-2 times a month, rarely 3, and in smaller portions.
Just shifting did a lot for my health, too.

chassmith.bsky.social•159 days ago

I went mostly vegetarian a few years ago for environmental reasons (I make the vast majority of my meals at home and they're all vegetarian), but cheese is a hill I'm willing to die on.

jsgjames.bsky.social•159 days ago

I live in Wisconsin and I simply could not give up cheese. I mean ... Roelli Red Rock or Dunbarton Blue; Hook's 5 year, 7 year, 10 year cheddar; Baumgartner's 3 year cheddar (perfect grilled cheese), Carr Valley, St. Claire, Landmark Creamery. And 4 cheese quiche.

kellyhereid.bsky.social•159 days ago

For what it's worth, finding you here on bsky and seeing how you write about food and land use and emissions has been really influential on me.

Similarly I am not veg, but now beef is for special occasions and I choose lower emissions options whenever available.

So, um... Thanks!!

waiterich.bsky.social•159 days ago

Woohoo! That's great to hear!

As @katharinehayhoe.com says, one of the biggest things we can do on climate is talk more about it ... and what we as a society (and as individuals that participate in society in various ways) can do about it.

kellyhereid.bsky.social•159 days ago

True that. And research can be a bit of a thankless job at times, so wanted you to know I appreciate your clear, data-driven takes.

katharinehayhoe.com•159 days ago

💯

And I love the practical focus of the article above. It doesn’t ask for a change most people would feel intimidated by. Yet if the biggest beef eaters did it, what a difference it would make!

solenodon.bsky.social•159 days ago

I wrote a brief about it in 2020 for Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Purity is not a requirement. Just shifting a few things, as you explain in your article.

waiterich.bsky.social•159 days ago

Nice piece!

solenodon.bsky.social•159 days ago

Thank you!

katiecannon.bsky.social•159 days ago

Reminds me of this from philosopher of law & social science.

(Except I wish he’d just tax “spend” and then “tax” regulate value of our currency):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYOOwNRFTcY

thepinewizard.bsky.social•159 days ago

Lets leat less beef! Dont worry about those incredibly huge ships... No no, dont look up the number of jets in the air right now... Eating less beef will fix everything!

noticingclimate.bsky.social•156 days ago

I'll just leave this stunning t shirt illustration from one of Australia's finest Newcastle based bands with their uh...biggest friend/enemy/frenemy, who is one of the worlds largest landholders/cattlefarmers.
Love the t-shirt + beer branding:
#ginarinehart #agriculture #auspol

samwithrow.bsky.social•159 days ago

I guess it's emotional support beef

lordluna.bsky.social•159 days ago

How about China stops poluting as much as the western hemisphere huh? I will have my beef thank you

dwmiller18.bsky.social•159 days ago

itsgoodtobehome.bsky.social•159 days ago

I had been feeling not great so eating a lot of easier to digest foods for a couple weeks. When I was feeling better and traveling, I ate a burger and all the stomach upset, bloating, etc. roared back. Even hives. I cannot eat beef anymore, whether I want to or not. Seems like an acquired allergy.

solenodon.bsky.social•159 days ago

There is such a thing as an allergy to beef that's acquired from tick bites.

itsgoodtobehome.bsky.social•159 days ago

I understand. I don't recall getting any bug bites, and I can eat other red meat. Anything cow makes me sick.

solenodon.bsky.social•159 days ago

That's fascinating.

itsgoodtobehome.bsky.social•159 days ago

Yeah, boring, I know. ;)

solenodon.bsky.social•159 days ago

What? No. I meant it!

joshuasharp.bsky.social•159 days ago

Lots of other meat doesn't trigger alpha gal syndrome. Beef and pork are the big ones; poultry and fish generally don't. And hives are a pretty key symptom along with upset stomach and swelling, usually a few hours after you eat.

If this sounds like you, you might want to get tested.

itsgoodtobehome.bsky.social•158 days ago

I used ghee in my tal dakta and same story. I'm going to get tested.

Bummer. I'm already celiac.

itsgoodtobehome.bsky.social•159 days ago

It does sound like me. Thanks. :)

akw.bsky.social•159 days ago

cows are also so cute and doglike so if you ever feel tempted, remember that. it helps me anyway

itsgoodtobehome.bsky.social•159 days ago

I was raised by farmers with 40 acres and 7 kids. We raised most of our own meat (except cattle, too expensive) and veggies. My folks were very picky about what their animals were fed, and no medications unless treating infections.

I think industrial food production is poisoning us.

akw.bsky.social•159 days ago

I actually agree, I'm trying to simplify the message for the Internet. the way my grandparents raised animals I have no issue with, but driving through the American southwest a few times in the past couple years has turned me off of American beef

itsgoodtobehome.bsky.social•159 days ago

The practice of aging meat is also too expensive for mass production. I wonder how much modern disease is related to the inability to digest industrially produced food? Our microbiomes can only take so much abuse.

shoeflyin.bsky.social•159 days ago

Passed a couple of cattle CAFO lots, in Texas and Utah, the smell alone will put you off beef, really. Seems like an obviously bad practice.

itsgoodtobehome.bsky.social•159 days ago

For folks living downwind of CAFOs, turns out a steady stream of ammonia aerosols shortens your life. And, nitrates in groundwater from all the poop impacts domestic wells, which tend to be shallow in comparison to ag wells.

It's been a while since I thought about it, but less meat more better.

danielrembrandt.bsky.social•157 days ago

Just spotted this over on Instagram @annieleymarie.bsky.social

juliaradio.bsky.social•159 days ago

Thanks for reading and sharing your story Richard!

waiterich.bsky.social•159 days ago

Excellent article. Thanks for writing it.

ottotanoshiineko.bsky.social•159 days ago

Armenians are big on beef, lamb, or chicken🙄
It’s cultural?

redloribrighteyes.bsky.social•157 days ago

my husband and I quite in 2003 because we knew how much it contributes and we wanted to offset feeding 4 cats

tilmane.bsky.social•159 days ago

This is the way to.go, but so far too little progress on carbon labels

https://www.forbes.com/sites/daphneewingchow/2024/09/20/agri-food-sector-under-increasing-threat-from-cyber-attacks/

tilmane.bsky.social•159 days ago

And less dairy in particular butter and cheese

georgeallison.bsky.social•156 days ago

Aren't 'Mericans mainly "lardarses" or is that an ill informed stereotype? (That could be cured with a diet of beans.)

zeroisanumber.bsky.social•159 days ago

I'm mostly on fish and chicken these days.

tbqh most ways that people cook beef or steak are pretty boring. Had a lot of burgers and dry-aged steaks soaked in a ton of butter, y'know?

wrongbottom.bsky.social•158 days ago

A nice green mango salad works well with beef steak.

krugerlive.bsky.social•159 days ago

Is there a meaningful difference in climate impact if you only eat beef from local farms that practice regenerative farming and have their cattle graze on the local landscape?

dwmiller18.bsky.social•159 days ago

I should probably let the experts respond, but Hannah Ritchie had a good write-up about local meat.

https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local

I don't know if regenerative farming shrinks the green and brown boxes but I'd imagine I'd be minor.

waiterich.bsky.social•159 days ago

The above post is good for making the point that transport is often only a tiny % of food emissions, especially for beef.

See below about regenerative grazing. Counterintuitively, finishing beef on grass actually *increases* methane emissions & land requirements per pound of beef vs. conventional.

biknmusicmama.bsky.social•159 days ago

Wendell Berry has great things to say about this. Local solutions for global problems. Know your local ecology, your seasons, your farmers. I have been getting most of my food from local farmers for a few years now. Can hardly eat out anymore, fresh is best.

enjohnston.bsky.social•156 days ago

Alas, no. Good for the soil, better for the animals, good for local economies, but not clearly better for climate. Strongly recommend Regenesis by @georgemonbiot.bsky.social

Or more immediately: https://www.npr.org/2024/09/10/g-s1-17179/regenerative-agriculture-climate-change-soil-carbon

fvehafric.bsky.social•156 days ago

I've never quite gotten over Wendel Berry's long apologia for growing tobacco and collecting the government subsidies for it because family land and tradition and all. So it was fine.

biknmusicmama.bsky.social•156 days ago

What I have read is more of his dad organizing to fight for fairer prices for their product, like a farmer’s union

fvehafric.bsky.social•156 days ago

Yes, the government subsidized tobacco wasn't profitable enough once it became known that it was killing people. Didn't stop them from growing it though. I should get over it I suppose, Berry's written lots of good stuff, but that just rubbed me raw.

biknmusicmama.bsky.social•156 days ago

Transitioning agricultural systems is hard for sure. Right now in KY many farms are being lost to exurban development. Tobacco wasn’t ideal but the demand was driven by large corporations, not the famers, but the Berry Center is working to find what could replace it. Locally raised meat is one idea.

turnerinroc.bsky.social•159 days ago

Another small thing you can do once you've reduced beef is suggesting that beef be eliminated from any catered meals responsible for. Work stuff, parties... Most people won't even notice it's not there.

coneylove.bsky.social•156 days ago

Eat ground turkey tacos, chicken quesadillas, fish, seafood, rice and beans, etc. Do it!

kittyvons.bsky.social•159 days ago

Men don't need as much iron as women do. Take any woman in your life & get a blood test. I'm saying 35% are low iron. They can get it from spinach & some beans & pulses. However if you have a period & are always cold, tired, lagging ask for a blood test. Sorry to put this in your feed.

biknmusicmama.bsky.social•156 days ago

The anti-meat tirade loves to ignore human nutritional needs, but it’s an essential part of the equation. As someone that was vegetarian for 11 years and always iron and B vitamin deficient.

Eg, New Zealand has seen hospitalizations for low iron increase as vegetarianism has increased.

thathootowl.bsky.social•156 days ago

I’m vegan and 100% agree, which is why I take a daily vegan multivitamin with iron. I know it works because I donate blood semi-frequently. Every time I do, they check my iron levels and I’m all good :) it makes a huge difference and it’s super easy if you can afford it

biknmusicmama.bsky.social•156 days ago

Where does the iron come from and how do they make it?

thathootowl.bsky.social•156 days ago

This is from their website, so not suuuuper clear to me, but I mean…if you’re wondering how it’s possible to get iron from non-animal sources, the herbivores we eat have to get it from somewhere in the first place right? Same with vitamin B12 https://vegetarianism.stackexchange.com/questions/1540/how-common-is-it-for-the-livestock-industry-to-supplement-b12

biknmusicmama.bsky.social•156 days ago

Animals are excellent at turning non-edible plants, even on acres of non-arable land, into a highly nutritious substance for people.

Not sure what “gentle” iron is.

kalidestroyer.bsky.social•159 days ago

Why tf is NPR making us sign in to read/hear their stories? This is ~20th time Ive been stymied. Who are they selling our data to?

antmasiello.bsky.social•159 days ago

The same concept can be addressed to car/truck culture too.

goldspike.bsky.social•159 days ago

SHUT UP. No one can afford to buy beef, even if they want to.

akw.bsky.social•159 days ago

I've been beating this drum with my parents for a long time. the only thing that worked was beef becoming expensive, which is why I think beef needs to be taxed to shit by the next admin

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