Climate change food calculator

[38aqua15]

From 2018
BBC website
Climate change food calculator: What's your diet's carbon footprint?

A lot of information, scary if taken at face value

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46459714?xtor=ES-211-[24649_PANUK_DIV_33_NCA_GEN_ExtraUnengaged]-20190815-[bbcnews_climatechangefoodcalculatorwhatsyourdietscarbonfootprint_newsscienceenvironment]

 

[bulkbiker]

Interesting that there's no accounting for food wastage...like all the salad bags that get thrown away or rotten fruit. or packging..
Pleased there are no stupid assumptions about water usage as if water that passes through a cow is somehow lost for future generations.
Maybe we shouldn't take it at face value although unfortunately many will..

 

[EllieM]

Maybe we shouldn't take it at face value although unfortunately many will..

Maybe not at face value but are the figures really a surprise? It's pretty obvious (to me anyway ) that there aren't the resources for 7.7 billion people to eat a predominantly meat-based keto diet. I'm not saying that a keto diet isn't best for T2 diabetics, just that we don't have the resources for everyone to eat it. And as a T1 I know that the world doesn't have the resources to supply insulin to 7.7 billion people (should a virus or invaders from Mars suddenly make us all T1)

So maybe it would be better for those without medical issues to eat less meat, it doesn't mean that those who can't tolerate carbs shouldn't eat meat. Think how much you are saving the NHS by avoiding drugs and complications.

There are a large number of people in the world who are genetically lactose intolerant - they shouldn't eat dairy. Another large number should avoid alcohol for the same reason. (Everyone should avoid nicotine, but that's just my pet hate. ). And then there are a large number who will develop T2 if they overdo the carbs, so they should avoid them./ But those whose bodies can tolerate most foods, let them choose their own diets without (too much) criticism. Vegetarians and vegans seem to do well, as do eskimoes living on whale fat and not much else. The only ones who seem to really suffer are those who live on processed food packed full of sugar by the big food manufacturers.

If you want to vent, rant against the food manufacturers who pursue the "sweet point", the maximum amount of sugar you can add to a processed food before it tastes sickly sweet. Leave the vegetarians alone, they are probably eating less processed food than the rest of us, and gain health just because of that.

And I'm not addressing this post to @38aqua15 or @bulkbiker , who've made perfectly relevant comments. I just get slightly irritated by some of the almost evangelical comments on here about non-carnivore diets and felt prompted to post.

(And I'm a carnivore, couldn't give up cheese and like occasional meat/fish, but I do eat vegan when my son visits. As a T1, I can inject for my carbs.)

 

[JohnEGreen]

You can choose to drive a car or ride a bike.
You can choose to take a bus or walk.
You could roller skate to Lands End or llandudno for that matter.
Maybe you could choose to swim to Miami rather than fly or embark on an ocean going liner.
We could give up the use of concrete in our buildings and other structures.

I choose a diet that includes meat over a vegetarian or vegan one I will not judge or interfere with choices made by others and will not apologise for my choices.

 

[Resurgam]

It seems paradoxical that the huge amount of wasted food is a problem, the bits left over when a crop is harvested are a problem - now - where might we find something to consume all that and make it useful to us. If only there were organisms which would happily munch through bits of plant if they were chopped up - oh - hang on.....

 

[Member496333]

I have no interest in the carbon footprint of my diet, because I have no intention of changing what I eat.

 

[Robinredbreast]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_waste_in_the_United_Kingdom[URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_waste_in_the_United_Kingdom[/URL]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/3312730/Help-the-environment-reduce-food-waste.html

I do try my best not to waste food at home.

 

[bulkbiker]

Maybe not at face value but are the figures really a surprise? It's pretty obvious (to me anyway ) that there aren't the resources for 7.7 billion people to eat a predominantly meat-based keto diet. I'm not saying that a keto diet isn't best for T2 diabetics, just that we don't have the resources for everyone to eat it. And as a T1 I know that the world doesn't have the resources to supply insulin to 7.7 billion people (should a virus or invaders from Mars suddenly make us all T1)

So maybe it would be better for those without medical issues to eat less meat, it doesn't mean that those who can't tolerate carbs shouldn't eat meat. Think how much you are saving the NHS by avoiding drugs and complications.

There are a large number of people in the world who are genetically lactose intolerant - they shouldn't eat dairy. Another large number should avoid alcohol for the same reason. (Everyone should avoid nicotine, but that's just my pet hate. ). And then there are a large number who will develop T2 if they overdo the carbs, so they should avoid them./ But those whose bodies can tolerate most foods, let them choose their own diets without (too much) criticism. Vegetarians and vegans seem to do well, as do eskimoes living on whale fat and not much else. The only ones who seem to really suffer are those who live on processed food packed full of sugar by the big food manufacturers.

If you want to vent, rant against the food manufacturers who pursue the "sweet point", the maximum amount of sugar you can add to a processed food before it tastes sickly sweet. Leave the vegetarians alone, they are probably eating less processed food than the rest of us, and gain health just because of that.

And I'm not addressing this post to @38aqua15 or @bulkbiker , who've made perfectly relevant comments. I just get slightly irritated by some of the almost evangelical comments on here about non-carnivore diets and felt prompted to post.

(And I'm a carnivore, couldn't give up cheese and like occasional meat/fish, but I do eat vegan when my son visits. As a T1, I can inject for my carbs.)

My main criticism of this calculator is that
1. It's on the BBC so hardly a finely tuned tool
2. It is as, all these things do, demonising meat as "bad"
3. It is from a "trusted" source so many will think it is "true" when in fact it represents a distinctly biased world view like a lot of the media at the moment.

I spent some of yesterday disagreeing with some people on twitter who seem to believe that water once drunk by humans or cows "disappears". When pointed out to them that it re-emerges again , sometimes quite soon afterwards, I was ridiculed. That some people think that because they have a phd they know everything is sad and that they simply regurgitate what they have been told is "true" by organs such as the BBC shows a great lack of intellectual curiosity.
We are breeding a generation of people who are used to being spoon-fed information and can't seem to think critically for themselves in any way. I'm rather glad I'm over half way through my life so I probably won't live to see what a complete balls up they make of the planet.

 

[ert]

My main criticism of this calculator is that
1. It's on the BBC so hardly a finely tuned tool
2. It is as, all these things do, demonising meat as "bad"
3. It is from a "trusted" source so many will think it is "true" when in fact it represents a distinctly biased world view like a lot of the media at the moment.

I spent some of yesterday disagreeing with some people on twitter who seem to believe that water once drunk by humans or cows "disappears". When pointed out to them that it re-emerges again , sometimes quite soon afterwards, I was ridiculed. That some people think that because they have a phd they know everything is sad and that they simply regurgitate what they have been told is "true" by organs such as the BBC shows a great lack of intellectual curiosity.
We are breeding a generation of people who are used to being spoon-fed information and can't seem to think critically for themselves in any way. I'm rather glad I'm over half way through my life so I probably won't live to see what a complete balls up they make of the planet.

Let me add heating, transport, aviation, electricity and waste all trump diet/agriculture.

 

[bulkbiker]

Let me add heating, transport, aviation, electricity and waste all trump diet/agriculture.

I'll add industry and humanity...

 

[psignathus]

It seems to me that the biggest threat to this planet is overpopulation. With that in mind the first port of call for anyone who is concerned about their footprint is to not have children. Comments such as 'pretty obvious that there are not resources for 7.7 billion people to eat keto' do not mean anything because actually it is not obvious even though the statement is made under the assumtion this is a fact which it definately is not. Eat whatever you choose because I definately will, but if you have children or plan to have children then you are the biggest problem facing this planet in my opinion. I'm off to stroke a cow!

 

[JohnEGreen]

I thought the whole idea was to preserve our planet for future generations if there aren't going to be any what's the point.

The idea that we as a race can prevent our extinction by not having children would just hasten our steps to extinction.

One of the definitions of a living organism is that it reproduces and if we are going to reduce the population drastically who is going to volunteer for the cull.

Perplexing isn't it.

 

[bulkbiker]

I thought the whole idea was to preserve our planet for future generations if there aren't going to be any what's the point.

The idea that we as a race can prevent our extinction by not having children would just hasten our steps to extinction.

One of the definitions of a living organism is that it reproduces and if we are going to reduce the population drastically who is going to volunteer for the cull.

Perplexing isn't it.

maybe fewer rather than none?

 

[lucylocket61]

I see no media reports suggesting people have fewer or no pets. Wouldnt reducing the amount of pets be effective?

; )

 

[bulkbiker]

I see no media reports suggesting people have fewer or no pets. Wouldnt reducing the amount of pets be effective?

; )

On climate change? pretty unlikely...

 

[lucylocket61]

On climate change? pretty unlikely...

good. In that case, I am going to have several pet sheep and cows : )

 

[JohnEGreen]

maybe fewer rather than none?

I believe the Chinese already tried that. What level should we choose to reduce the human race to who's first for the cull certainly not those who are proposing it on a global level I think the likes of Bill Gates would still be around afterwards.

 

[lucylocket61]

I believe the Chinese already tried that. What level should we choose to reduce the human race to who's first for the cull certainly not those who are proposing it on a global level I think the likes of Bill Gates would still be around afterwards.

well, we need to do something. Just replacing ourselves may be a first step, No more large families.

 

[bulkbiker]

Main problem..

 

[Deleted member 308541]

good. In that case, I am going to have several pet sheep and cows : )

I have been doing that for years, I also have goats and pigs.