Week 10 Vegetarian diet and related issues.

There are very good reasons for giving up eating meat in order to reduce carbon emissions, not only is every pound of meat "grown" by the use of seven pounds of vegetarian food such as soya,barley, wheat and maize, so that it is simply not good economics with regard to feeding the population of the world but also unsustainable. Meat production also requires high volumes of water too. Then there is the question of the methane and other greenhouse gases produced by the animals as they grow. Additionally much of the cereals used in the production of meat for human consumption are not grown in the countries producing the meat but shipped in from developing countries, so that there are carbon emission issues in transporting the food to the animals. Also the closing of many local abbatoirs under EEC law has now meant that animals must be transported greater distances in order to be slaughtered, adding to carbon emissions, not to mention the misery of the animals involved.

Other issues are probably more important even than carbon emissions with regard to the eating of fish. It is apparent that humanity has depleted the natural fish stocks of the oceans so greatly that we have probably reached the tipping point for the extinction of many species such as cod and tuna that have been staple foods for millions of people worldwide. However the fuel used in fishing, transporting and in particular refrigerating or freezing fish before sale must also be considered in the carbon emission debate, since they all add to the problem.

Poultry is less damaging than red meat since the birds grow pound for pound more quickly, and are often used to produce eggs beforehand (sometimes in appalling conditions) so that there are two foods with "first class" (containing more than 22 amino acids)proteins coming from one source. However for much of the year artificial lighting and heating is used to encourage higher egg yields which should be factored in.

This brings me to the point vegetarian or vegan? As someone who has not eaten meat for nearly 24 years I am aware of the many health benefits from vegetarianism. There is much evidence to show that avoiding "red" meat is generally a healthy lifestyle choice, not only because even lean meat is 30% fat but because there is evidence to show that there are considerable mental health benefits to not eating meat and particularly offal.

Vegetarians are said to be seven times less likely to show symptoms of mental health deterioration, including senile dementia and Parkinsons disease, though the exact cause of this has not yet been proved. It may be linked to the proteins which are found in animals and particularly organs such as the brain and which have been shown to cause symptoms ranging from loss of memory to CJD when eaten. (There is an ongoing study of natives of Borneo where cannibalism had some interesting effects on some of the population and where a resistant strain of people to the CJD type disease has resulted and this may provide more evidence of what exactly causes the mental health problems).

Personally I still eat eggs and some dairy products and have found when I didnt for a few days that I seemed to lack physical energy. It may be that I have to live at a slower pace of life as a vegan than I do as a vegetarian and this is an adaptation that could certainly be made and logically should be if the issues about growing red meat above are taken into account. My reasons for giving up meat in the 1980s were to do with health and animal welfare issues. For the same reasons I buy free range eggs and organic milk, but should really for the sake of the carbon issues probably give up both.

The main reason for not eating fish is so far as Im concerned less to do with carbon emissions at the moment than the fact that we are in danger of extinguishing for ever a source of protein that feeds many of the worlds poorest people particularly in Asia where there may be insufficient agricultural land to grow them more protein rich foods such as soya.

Other issues such as the destruction of the rain forest in the Amazon basin in order that beef cattle can be raised is one more ecological reason for giving up meat.

Yes I agree that meat should be given up, but I think there would be huge resistance, particularly in the United States where it is a staple, and also in the EEC. It may be that meat should become the kind of luxury food that lobster and caviar are now, so that it is so expensive few can afford it except as a celebration dish. If meat was eaten once a week rather than four or more times a week this would make a significant mainstream difference to all the above mentioned issues. For myself I should be considering giving up dairy to bring myself into the truly alternative camp.

I also believe were we, amongst the developed nations to ever reach the vegan stage basic nutritional advice should be given in schools so that people understand how mixing foods such as pasta with either peas or sesame seeds can provide sufficient levels of protein to stay healthy and active.
It is by no means obvious how to live well entirely on vegan foods, which has not been part of our cultural heritage for thousands of years, and additionally some of the highest protein vegetable foods such as cereals and legumes have issues of their own with regard to carbon emissions and the use of resources such as water (rice).

Food is a very complicated subject, not only with regard to carbon emissions/ sustainability but also health, animal welfare and cultural attitudes.