Watch It Wednesday #31
The production and distribution of food accounts for over 19% of the worlds annual GHG emissions. Unfortunately, even if we completely electrified agriculture, growing the food we eat will never be emissions free due to land use, fertilizers, crop specific emissions (e.g., methane released from rice cultivation), and more. The most controversial foods are meats, with the consumption of animal proteins being a divisive issue not only from a climate change perspective, but also from the lenses of animal welfare and ethics.
The latest Kurzgesagt video dives into this issue, investigating three climate arguments that are frequently cited against meat and food consumption more generally:
the impact of diet
does buying local food matter
land use & location
At the end of the day, we all need to eat and there are a ton of different aspects influencing our individual diets ranging from culture, socio-economic status, personal health, and many more. That being said, one of the most impactful ways to reduce emissions associated with agriculture is by reducing our consumption of high emission intensity foods. This doesn’t mean you have to completely give up eating meat, but you can cut back on your weekly intake and be mindful of potential alternatives in which you can swap out meat (e.g., cauliflower tacos instead of beef!).