I believe in the responsibility we hold as those who live on planet earth to actively look for methods to reduce our carbon dioxide accumulation. Namely, I believe that the reduction of meat consumption is the right step towards contributing towards more sustainability in the environment by reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
I envision a world where everyone (including those who do it for ethical reasons) choose to reduce their meat consumption in response to learning about the negative consequences meat consumption has on the environment. I envision a world where our carbon dioxide emission levels are significantly reduced due to the efforts of people reducing their meat consumption.
I want to start an educational movement to raise more awareness of the environmental consequences of meat consumption. As the ethical reasoning is already well established and known, more light needs to be brought towards the alternative reasons, and possibly the more important reason why we should do so, from an environmental perspective. There is already so much attention brought to reduce carbon dioxide by reducing the usage of vehicles however many do not know that methane gas emitted from livestock is actually more destructive than the carbon dioxide from vehicles. Namely, I want more exposure on how there is a lack of awareness of this knowledge due to the government fearing the loss of their supporters as mentioned in the Cowspiracy documentary. I wish to do so by bringing more media attention by contacting media sites and sharing related posts on my instagram to educate others, as well as have more people recognize what is going on at the governmental level. This would hopefully inspire others to reduce their meat consumption and in turn help the environment as a whole.
Hi Sara, I really like your idea about having an educational movement which coincides with my ideas. And before this class, I never think that animals will have more contributing to the carbon dioxide level. With the help of governments, I believe such actions will be easier to conduct.
One current field of research that I find interesting is lab-grown meat. Over the past several years it's become less expensive due to becoming more widespread, production quality increasing, and better sourcing of resources. The intention behind it is being able to buy and consume meat without having the additional price tag on our environment. Do you know about lab grown mean, and if so, how do you feel about it? Is it the solution to solving the livestock's impact on carbon emissions? Here's an article about it if anyone's interested: https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/what-is-lab-grown-meat-a-scientist-explains-the-taste-production-and-safety-of-artificial-foods/
Good thoughts! I think a big issue in terms of meat consumption is that it is often associated with higher social status/wealth, ex. as countries become richer so too does their meat consumption. I think that in order for vegetarianism to become more mainstream, it has to be both valued the way that meat consumption is, yet also accessible (ex. more affordable fast food vegetarian options) so that not just the privileged are choosing to do it.
I love this post, I had water consumption and conservation as the main topic of my hard conversation, and I think we share a lot in our visions! I totally agree that everyone should be aware of their actions and actively reduce their excessive consumption of natural resources.
Hi Sara!
I love your idea of shifting our focus on meat consumption instead of carbon dioxide emissions. Although both factors cause an increased effect to global warming, I believe that there is a lack of attention towards meat/dairy consumption. Like you brought up cowspiracy, to raise a calf into a cow it takes 10 times the amount of vegetation until the cow is ready to be consumed. It just isn't a sustainable method to be approaching our daily diets. Therefore, I fully support your movement to bring more attention to this issue.
Hi Sara! I like the stance you've chosen that people should reduce their consumption of meat (rather than going completely vegan). I definitely agree that education is the way to go as real action follows real education. I think there are a lot of healthy alternatives to meat with lots of protein and iron that people don't know yet. Thanks to education (and the dramatic increase in meat costs), my own family has started to think more conscientiously about how much meat we eat. Are there any easy ways (and/or cost-effective ways) that you've changed your lifestyle to eat less meat? If so, please share them! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Sara!
Thank you for talking about this issue! This was the main topic for my hard conversation this week, and one that is personal for me. I'm trying to reduce the amount of meat I consume, but haven't had much success so far.
In the process of preparing for my hard conversation, I found that there were several issues with the Cowspiracy documentary we watched in class. For instance, there appears to be more scientific consensus around livestock being responsible for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions, instead of the 51% figure that kept being mentioned. The documentarian's response to this criticism was not reassuring.
As scientists, we must prevent our activism from getting in the way of the truth. While reducing meat consumption is an important step all of us can take to lowering emissions, we must be careful about focusing primarily on one solution, and neglecting our responsibility to accuracy.
Hi Sara! Thank you for sharing! I agree with you, reducing our meat consumption will reduce our carbon footprint and will lead to a more sustainable environment. It doesn't necessarily mean everyone should go vegan but reducing the amount of meat we consumed (7 days a week --> 3 days a week) can have a lasting impact!