I have always been under the impression that much of the global warming intent is to push the Vegan agenda and this is a big part of it. One meme going around is a vegetarian driving a hummer has less of a carbon footprint than a guy in a Prius who ate a burger.

People will need to turn vegetarian if the world is to conquer climate change, according to a leading authority on global warming.In an interview with The Times, Lord Stern of Brentford 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.”Direct emissions of methane from cows and pigs is a significant source of greenhouse gases. Methane is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a global warming gas.Lord Stern, the author of the influential 2006 Stern Review on the cost of tackling global warming, said that a successful deal at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December would lead to soaring costs for meat and other foods that generate large quantities of greenhouse gases.He predicted that people’s attitudes would evolve until meat eating became unacceptable.

via Climate chief Lord Stern: give up meat to save the planet – Times Online.




  1. Thinker says:

    🙂 Bravo #1 🙂

    I was also thinking if it is that much of a problem then why is he not demanding the government grab the livestock heards and slaughter them wholesale?? Surely they can’t be allowed to continue, even in the wild.

    Ever read ‘That hideous strength’ by C.S. Lewis?? I think I saw this guy in there working for the N.I.C.E.

    Where do they get these people?

  2. Hmeyers says:

    Plants supposedly have a solar energy efficiency of 6%.

    Producing meat from a primary consumer (cow, sheep, rabbit) is an efficiency of about 10% to 20%.

    So meat production waste is a minimum of 80% per calorie versus eating plants.

    But all the junk food is made from plants: potato chips, cookies, popcorn, chocolate, corn syrup –> non-diet soda.

    Plants don’t have a very high concentration of the right nutrients (especially protein) per calorie.

    It would be better to attacking the problem by fighting obesity (a consumption-based strategy) for starters — than a production-based strategy like eliminating meat.

    And less fatties means lower health care expenses.

  3. jealousmonk says:

    OpEd at NY Times today… debunking these very claims or, at least, putting them into context…

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/opinion/31niman.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

  4. lordknows says:

    If I’m not suppose to eat animals, then why
    did God build cows, pigs and chickens out of
    delicious meat!

  5. Supersized says:

    Less important than the cow farts is the acreage being converted from oxygen-converting forest / rain forest to pasture for cows or corn fields to feed cows; which acreage is productive for a short period after which it is suitable for neither cow nor forest. I’ll be dead before it matters, but the next generations will suffer the short sightedness. And I enjoy a good burger but I’m eating them infrequently these days.

  6. Dr Dodd says:

    Oh Great! Another whinny little elitist snob looking to impose his asinine vegan views on everyone else.

    I reject the premise that any animal poses a problem to the planet and submit his ideas and the person of Lord Scratch-n-Sniff is the real problem.

    These little Napoleon types are such a pain in the keister and deserve a giant smack-down.

  7. Hmeyers says:

    “If I’m not suppose to eat animals, then why
    did God build cows, pigs and chickens out of
    delicious meat!”

    Slightly more funny is the Vegan with a cat that is out there killing and eating birds, mice and rabbit.

    Still, there are a lot of valid points on the Vegan side of the argument.

    But really, get rid of over-consumption (fat people) first and then they can do weird stuff like this.

  8. qb says:

    Plants, it’s what food eats.

  9. ECA says:

    Q for the LEADER..
    1. and how many Buffalo were HERE?? How many rudiments animals have we WIPED off this planet to TAKE their place.
    2. Rudiments/cows/sheep/Buffalo/water bison/.. EAT WHAT??
    3. we feed our Feed animals WHAT??

  10. ECA says:

    In my recent post, I will add…
    IF Cattle are so bad, why arent RABBITS easier to find?? I wonder if its WHAT WE FEED THEM..

  11. joaoPT says:

    I like meat a lot. And I think Vegans are nuts. That being said, I also think that we are wired to binge on nutrients when we can find them, and in today’s world there’s just too much around us. Also, the food industry has learned our weaknesses and is dealing us the drugs: who can resist a crispy, salty, juicy fat hamburguer dripping sweet tomato sauce? Nobody! Unless you become an ascetic and ban fat, salt and sugar from your diet. This stuff is like a drug, and it hooks you.
    We should be eating more greens and less meat. Not because of Global Warming, nor Vegan righteousness, but because it’s better for our health.

  12. punster says:

    It should be noted, that in the article Lord Stern says that he is not “a strict vegetarian himself”.

    I think that the phrase “Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi” is quite apt especially since the Jupiter in question seems to dine on the oxen.

  13. MikeN says:

    You’ll be better off if they pass a large tax on meat. This will encourage companies to sell the healthy low carbon food that customers want.

  14. Cap & Strangulation says:

    This is nonsense “Plants supposedly have a solar energy efficiency of 6%. Producing meat from a primary consumer (cow, sheep, rabbit) is an efficiency of about 10% to 20%. So meat production waste is a minimum of 80% per calorie versus eating plants.” Meat is not for calories, carbs are for calories. Meat is for protein. 3 oz of beef has about 24 grams of protein! The prior calculation is completely looking at only calorie efficiency and the human body does not just use calories.

  15. clancys_daddy says:

    #10 I believe the word you were looking for was ruminant, rudiment is an entirely different thing. As far as give up meat mmmm, no.

  16. jaywontdart says:

    Hi guys, your friendly Vegan here again 🙂

    Im about to celebrate World Vegan Day, its the 1st of November here in NZ.

    I saw the usual comments, “vegans are snobs/elitist/ima have me a biiiiig steak right now” and thought I’d comment.

    Theres nothing “elitist” about saying “everyone should do X, for their health and for the environment”. Thats not why Im Vegan, Im Vegan because I like animals, and dont want to hurt them in the slightest way. There are many reasons to be Vegan, apart from “I like the taste of meat”, not many reasons for treating animals the way we do are given!

    What could be “elitist” about saying “veganism is something we all should be doing!” ? Its saying EVERYONE could do it!

    It would be elitist to say “oh, sorry, you are not cool enough to be a Vegan”. Its not like a Mac vs PC ad, where theres some smug Vegan saying how “hip” they are 🙂

    Im sorry if you’ve only met arrogant Prius driving SF Vegans. Veganism has nothing to do with acting like an arsehole, I’d say those Vegans would have been jerks regardless of what they choose to eat.

    Enjoy World Vegan Day 🙂

  17. JimR says:

    How about just consuming in moderation and managing our resources better?

    Of course that won’t work. Too many of you/them/us think you are entitled to unlimited and unfettered freedom to fill your gut to the bursting point every day, drive alone as often as you can using the biggest gas waster you can afford and would gladly crap into the nearest water supply as long as there is beer or bottled water to drink instead. That would sound like a joke of the extreme… if it weren’t so sadly commonplace.

    If you believe in God, he sure made a disgusting pig of an animal in His own image.

  18. Dr Dodd says:

    The Nanny State – the way people fall for this you would think we were all getting out alive.

  19. dusanmal says:

    @#18 “Too many of you/them/us think you are entitled to unlimited and unfettered freedom to fill your gut to the bursting point every day, drive alone as often as you can using the biggest gas waster you can afford and would gladly crap into the nearest water supply as long as there is beer or bottled water to drink instead.”

    Yes. We have unfettered freedoms. And if they were to be encroached on it would be tyranny. North Koreans have that with Govt. run limited food supply and Govt. regulated car usage. Exactly what you call for. Please do move there ASAP. If humanity listened to such limited thought processes we’d be still living in trees with Chimps’: Ough, you can’t use that tool to cut beautiful plants or fire to pollute clear skies…
    We should celebrate consumption and production. They are our innate nature and led to our progress across this planet. As such, Humanity have great future continuing to do so on wider and wider spreading range, hopefully spreading ourselves in the process throughout the Universe. And as Evolution goes, anything incapable of adapting to us will and should perish.

  20. Dingo says:

    Meat gone? I wonder when they will raise the amount of CO2 produced in the fermentation process and ban alcohol too?

  21. Hmeyers says:

    @20

    That’s what bacteria in the petry dish say when they consume everything and die in their own waste.

    The reason that Western civilization is currently on the top of world is that unlike Africa or some parts of Asia, we do control the use of our resources.

    The thing that makes man superior to the other species is that we can think through things and make wise decisions for our own benefit — and not act like a wild dog in a room full of hamburgers.

  22. RTaylor says:

    We control our resources #22 ? We divert and pump water unto a desert to raise tropical plants like citrus. We overwork the farmland by pouring chemicals into the soil. We over produce corn for ethanol, even though everyone knows it’s bullshit.

  23. Floyd says:

    #17: I like animals too, especially the ones that are delicious.

    Seriously, the best way to cut down livestock emissions is to range feed meat animals as much as possible, and to get rid of feedlots. Much more humane, and (surprise!) the meat tastes better.

  24. sargasso says:

    I have to agree with John, this is a Vegan conspiracy. We have to declare war on the planet Vega.

  25. Animby says:

    Sorry. I read as far as the words “…leading authority on global warming…” and turned off. Obviously the man is either scamming us (ala Algore) or a kook (PETA, anyone?).

  26. green says:

    It takes 100 acres a year to feed a carnivore, 1 acre a year to feed a vegetarian.

    Ever wonder why there are so many people in India and China. Now you know.

  27. deowll says:

    I suggest Lord Stern throw himself under a bus. That should reduce the amount of hot air and brain farts a good deal.

  28. lens42 says:

    #22 – The reason western civilization is on top of the world is because we took all of *their* (the other continents’) resources. There is precious little resource “control” taking place.

    On a lighter note, my wife convinced me to eat vegan for 1 month. It wasn’t that bad and was great for my cholesterol. But one thing I noticed was that I farted up a STORM. Maybe Lord Stern doesn’t realize that a world population eating vegan might not reduce methane emissions as much as he thinks 🙂

  29. joaoPT says:

    #3
    “Plants supposedly have a solar energy efficiency of 6%.
    Producing meat from a primary consumer (cow, sheep, rabbit) is an efficiency of about 10% to 20%.
    So meat production waste is a minimum of 80% per calorie versus eating plants.”

    Can’t even understand what you’re saying…What DO YOU THINK meat eats???

    #24
    “Seriously, the best way to cut down livestock emissions is to range feed meat animals as much as possible, and to get rid of feedlots. Much more humane, and (surprise!) the meat tastes better.”
    Ever got out of the MidWest? Do you think the World is mostly flat endless plains? Renew your National Geographic subscription, will you?

    #27
    “It takes 100 acres a year to feed a carnivore, 1 acre a year to feed a vegetarian.
    Ever wonder why there are so many people in India and China. Now you know.”

    No, it’s the other way around: that’s why they are eating more vegetables, because they are too many.

  30. I dont see any reason why we have to stick to veggies when we can both enjoy meat and veggies at the same time saving the earth from global warmings. There are other ways such as sorting of garbage, planting new seeds for future trees, respect for mother nature..etc. All we need is discipline and true love for nature.


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