Save The Planet Go Veggie
People will need to turn vegetarian if the world is to conquer climate change, according to a leading authority on global warming.
Macsween Vegetarian Haggis
In a recent interview with ?e Times, Lord Stern of Brentford, an expert on the economics of climate change, 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.” Lord Stern predicted that people’s attitudes would evolve until meat eating became unacceptable. “I think it’s important that people think about what they are doing and that includes what they are eating,” he said. “I am 61 now and attitudes towards drinking and driving have changed radically since I was a student. People change their notion of what is responsible. They will increasingly ask about the carbon content of their food.”
Su Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Vegetarian Society, welcomed Lord Stern’s remarks. “What we choose to eat is one of the biggest factors in our personal impact on the environment,” she said. “Meat uses up a lot of resources and a vegetarian diet consumes a lot less land and water. One of the best things you can do about climate change is reduce the amount of meat in your diet.”
- Direct emissions of methane from cows and pigs is a signiicant source of greenhouse gases. Methane is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a global warming gas.
- UN igures suggest that meat production is responsible for about 18 per cent of global carbon emissions, including the destruction of forest land for cattle ranching and the production of animal feeds such as soy. The UN has warned that meat consumption is on course to double by the middle of the century.
- On average, a British person eats 50g of meat-derived protein every day - the equivalent of a chicken breast or a lamb chop. This is a relatively low level for a wealthy country, but between 25 per cent and 50 per cent higher than the amount recommended by the World Health Organisation.
Veg awards
Two Edinburgh businesses were recognised at this year’s Vegetarian Society Awards. Macsween Vegetarian Haggis (www.macsween.co.uk/stockists) was named Best Vegsoc-Approved Convenience Food, while David Bann Restaurant (56-58 St Mary’s St., T 0131 556 5888, www.davidbann.com) won the award for the Best Vegsoc-Approved Catering for Vegetarians.