[In the end, the author of this lengthy article proposes what she earlier disparaged as “baby steps.”]
What if Everyone in the World Became a Vegetarian?
Photo by Elena Veselova/Thinkstock
The meat industry is one of the top contributors to climate change, directly and indirectly producing about 14.5 percent of the world’s anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and global meat consumption is on the rise. People generally like eating meat—when poor people start making more money, they almost invariably start buying more meat. As the population grows and eats more animal products, the consequences for climate change, pollution, and land use could be catastrophic.
But what if the convincing were the easy part? Suppose everyone in the world voluntarily stopped eating meat, en masse. I know it’s not actually going to happen. But the best-case scenario from a climate perspective would be if all 7 billion of us woke up one day and realized that PETA was right all along. If this collective change of spirit came to pass, like Peter Singer’s dearest fantasy come true, what would the ramifications be?
At least one research team has run the numbers on what global veganism would mean for the planet. In 2009 researchers from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency publishedtheir projections of the greenhouse gas consequences if humanity came to eat less meat, no meat, or no animal products at all. The researchers predicted that universal veganism would reduce agriculture-related carbon emissions by 17 percent, methane emissions by 24 percent, and nitrous oxide emissions by 21 percent by 2050. Universal vegetarianism would result in similarly impressive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. What’s more, the Dutch researchers found that worldwide vegetarianism or veganism would achieve these gains at a much lower cost than a purely energy-focused intervention involving carbon taxes and renewable energy technology. The upshot: Universal eschewal of meat wouldn’t single-handedly stave off global warming, but it would go a long way toward mitigating climate change.
Exposing the Big Game 
If you haven’t become at least vegetarian go on – dive in, take the leap – you won’t regret it – living the ‘good’ life is GREAT for you & the animals !!! -:)
When I was eating animal flesh (I think the word “meat” is too tame!), I do believe I was addicted. I have heard people say, “if I couldn’t eat meat, I would want to die.” As with other addictions, we have to shed our denial, but we are a species living in a delusional state–we are insane–or else, we wouldn’t be destroying Earth’s Life Support System. What a shame.
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Reblogged this on Exposing the Big Game.
I am proud to be a Plant-based eater. But, this alone is not enough. And, when I see statements that “if all 7 billion of us…” No! this is part of the problem: there are now 7.5 BILLION of us. And, becoming vegetarian, is still a Human-based act. If we truly care about this planet, we should all just die. That would help the animals, soils, atmosphere, oceans, rivers to very slowly revive–taking at least thousands of years, perhaps more, with the poisons, radiation we leave behind.
Even at an animal rights conference, there are discussions about how “we could feed 10 Billion people if everyone were vegan.” This is insane, and should NOT be promoted by vegans or any other THINKING humans.. Believing everything that vapid PETA models say is not the answer either.
This planet’s most egregious illness is Human Overpopulation, & stupid Humanism, which is usually skirted over by non-thinking humans.
http://www.foranimals.org