Responses to the December 2006 McDougall Newsletter on Global Warming
I have included almost every e-mail and discussion board response from my December 2006 newsletter article on Global Warming received over the past month. Most people were very supportive of my discussion of reducing animal-food consumption and planet survival. Others, you will read, would have rather I would have kept to my usual focus of the newsletter on their personal health and diet. Since there were only a few of these more critical opinions, I have mixed them up in the beginning—I believe it is important to know what those who disagree are thinking.
Hi John,
I read all your newsletters. I just read December—incredible job. You know I am a school assembly performer. 2 years ago my assembly program was on the rainforests of the world—the lungs of the earth”. (Completed 250 programs) This last Sept-Dec I completed another 127 rainforest programs for a different company in a different region—the central U.S. Just to let you know I’m right there with you, and with all the people who are aware that animal foods are harmful to both human and planet health, not to mention the misery of factory farmed animals.
I, like you, try to spread the message that what you eat DOES affect the earth. Keep up your great work. If there’s anything I can do for you.
Greg
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Until your December 2006 your newsletters have been great, BUT you crossed the line with this issue. We’re not interested in your opinion about global warming, and we’re much less interested in Al Gore’s. Stick to what you do best. You have strayed and will rue this day if you stick with this fruitless course.
Very disappointed,
Bob & Maxine
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Dear Dr. McDougall,
I want to say how much I appreciate the December newsletter and the fact that you are taking action to raise awareness about this critical issue.
These are some of the ideas I’ve had related to diet and the earth:
First and foremost, we can eat a plant-based diet all or most of the time. We can recycle, reduce driving vehicles, use public transportation and bicycles, drive hybrid or biodiesel vehicles, lower our thermostats and turn off electricity when not in use, and use more solar options in our homes and businesses.
We can forward information such as your newsletter and other documents related to the issues.
We can speak out at our churches, synagogues, and our community centers. At the church I attend, I’ve already spoken to two people about developing ways to share information about the impact of dietary choices as part of a ministry of stewardship of the earth.
We can talk to people at every opportunity, never underestimating the power of the “grapevine” and of the difference each person can make (Margaret Mead).
We can contact public officials and newspapers.
We can support vegetarian/vegan organizations and publications, such as EarthSave and the bimonthly publication VegNews, just to name two examples.
We can organize vegetarian events in our communities. Earth Day, which is observed in March each year, is a good time to begin this. Standing on street corners and distributing information to passersby is another possibility.
We can speak to the administrators and PTSAs of our children’s schools to support curriculum and school lunch programs that incorporate plant-based meals based on programs like Dr. Antonia Dumas’ food curriculum.
If vegetarianism is key to reducing global warming, then a grassroots movement to spread the word about the significance of our food choices is the most direct means of effecting change. If we wait for politicians and food or agricultural industries to change, global warming will overtake us; it will be too late. Howard Lyman is a great example of someone who understood the facts and then changed his diet and life, from cattle rancher to vegan activist. His is an example for all of us to follow. Yours is as well. Thank you Dr. McDougall for all you’ve accomplished, all you’ve shared, and all you continue to do in your work as a true physician.
Best Regards,
Kathryn
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There is no need for the ridiculous global warming articles on your website. Next you’ll be telling us we came from monkeys. Stick to the basics of health and if you’d like to read some good information on the “myth” of global warming, read the magazine– ‘New American’.
katie h
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Hi SB! I like your idea for a forum topic addressing Global Warming. You just never know what it will take to finally have something click for someone, to give them just that one little extra incentive to really make a commitment to a plant-based diet. I have been moving in this direction for 22 years, with slips along the way. Each year the slips get smaller, but I still found myself rationalizing when I wanted to go off program for whatever reason. Long ago I read John Robbins “Diet For a New America” and Frances Moore Lappe’s “Diet For a Small Planet”, so for years I’ve known about the connection to raising livestock and depletion of our precious natural resources. But for some reason, when I read Dr. McDougall’s article in the December 2006 Newsletter, I was really moved, more so than I ever have been, about the importance of a plant-based diet to the future of our planet. Maybe it was finally the culmination of 22 years of exposure to the information; Al Gore’s movie (despite the lack of discussion on how a vegan diet could help reduce global warming); the increase of coverage in the media on Global Warming. Whatever it was, I am so committed to this way of eating now that I have totally lost my desire and cravings for anything even remotely related to coming from an animal. I guess I am a hard case – 22 years, for heaven’s sake! I have become more vocal about this topic with others (while always trying to remain non-preachy, and to stay off the soap-box).
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The recent FAO report on livestock says that 18% of human-caused (anthropogenic) greenhouse gases (GHGs) can be attributed to the raising, processing, and transportation of livestock and their products. To many people, this is probably a surprisingly high number. However, higher numbers have been published, for example in an article by Alan Calverd in “Physics World, which estimates that 23% of anthropogenic GHGs are attributable simply to physiologic processes of animals raised for food — i.e., not including processing and transportation.
Calverd’s article goes further, pointing out that if we allow the possibility that plant-based foods could replace animal-based ones, then we realize that the huge amount of land dedicated to grazing livestock and growing crops to feed them could be used instead for growing crops to be converted to fuel. Such fuel could replace most or all usage of coal, which generates a huge additional amount of GHGs, probably somewhere between 12-17% of anthropogenic GHGs.
As for the percentage of anthropogenic GHGs deriving from transportation and processing related to livestock: It’s considerable. We have to count the energy used for transporting the live animals and refrigerating and transporting the end-products, but also transporting the crops used to feed the animals. Much of this transportation uses the most polluting, least efficient forms of energy, such as diesel in the internal combustion engines of the barges used to transport feed.
In addition, meat must be cooked at higher heat and for much longer than plant-based equivalent foods, such as veggie burgers, which can be microwaved rather than grilled. There’s a lot of indirect energy needed to pump and pipe the vast amounts of water needed to produce meat, and more energy needed for both the water and electricity to provide the extra dishwashing to clean animal fats and charred material from pans and plates and ovens, and also for the extra cleaning needed for sanitizing areas used for prepping meat. More energy is needed for the frequent radiation of meat these days for safety purposes.
Another indirect use of energy is in the processing of the vast number of human diseases resulting from the consumption of animal products. The medical systems used in such treatment, such as x-rays and surgery, are highly energy-intensive.
It’s hard to estimate the GHGs deriving from all those processes under the heading of transportation and processing, but as a conservative guesstimate, let’s say it’s between 7-10% of all anthropogenic GHGs.
Adding the numbers above, it turns out that the total amount of GHGs that could be averted by substituting plant-based foods for animal-based ones is more on the order 40-50% than the 18% (under)counted by FAO.
Why would FAO undercount the number? And why does FAO make no recommendation for reducing production/consumption of livestock products? The answer might be in the list of authors, among which are veteran livestock promoters. Those authors have previously published documents claiming that meat is needed to improve childhood malnutrition in developing countries — which goes against the opinion of most mainstream nutritional experts — and you can see they repeat that claim in this new report.
One or more of those FAO authors have worked at the World Bank, which like the FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations. Interesting, in 2001, the World Bank published a strategy document saying that large-scale livestock production was to be avoided, on environmental grounds, and for fairness toward small scale mixed farmers.
However, the World Bank’s private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) — although it too is a UN specialized agency — never considered itself bound by that strategy document, and has continued to finance large-scale livestock production. In 2005, IFC actually proposed financing a project to expand beef production in the Amazon. The Sierra Club and others protested — you can read about this at http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/article.shtml?cmd%5B126%5D=x-126-107739 — and the project was suspended. However, that project is now moving forward again. Some protesting has started again; you can read about this at http://www.amazonia.org.br/english/noticias/noticia.cfm?id=228107. Stay tuned!
A member of the Sierra Club
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Dr D
Your program is based on your study of science. It worries me when you link your worthy program to Global Warming, before that science has been submitted to scrutiny. Even the pro-GW potential LA Times has stories about historical anomalies in temperature rises in the past. Had to let my crew go home early today here in LA due to ice on our equipment at noon time?…..just hate those anomalies like radiation spikes thru our ozone layer in the early 1930’s. Keep up the good work.
Carl
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We were approached by some environmentalists” as we left Whole Foods this morning, and I was able to share some thoughts from “Global Warming Strategy” by Noam Mohr. Good timing!
Edezell
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John, I always appreciate the effort you must make to put your newsletter together. Thank you. Global Warming, who among us would not have to say that it is something that must be continually watched. However, while I am not a student of such, there seems to still be two major and creditable sides to the issue.
I know that there have been articles from not too long ago that even referred to just the opposite happening – global cooling. And, politics aside, I so very strongly feel that Al Gore is a nut, and, should global warming be even most accurate, he is possibly the poorest leader that could be out front.
Now to our animals and the negative effect they have on us all – both in our body and in the field, I strongly agree with your position, and appreciate your calling it to our attention.
blessings, bob
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I am proud of you, Dr. McDougall. I always laughed at your joke about not being a vegetarian (since you eat turkey every other year at Thanksgiving) and forgave you for that, since we agree on the important truth that eating meat and dairy is bad for humans, but now I am proud, so proud, that your message is going beyond what is personally good to what is universally good. Thank you so much.
Darla
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Thank you for writing about this very important issue. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about global warming. Eminent British scientist James Lovelock says the trees and plants of North America will melt away in 50 short years. I’m trying to stay positive and act and inform my community of the consequences of our action. Take care and thank you for your life-altering work.
Annette
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Thank you for bringing up the animal issue as part of the global warming problem. I haven’t seen the film yet, but a vegan friend told me that she was really sorry that Gore had not discussed it.
My one concern is that you may lose some people by your comments about Gore’s physical appearance (those of us who are already vegans don’t need convincing!). Such attacks tend to make people feel defensive and I’d really hate to see that happen. This animal issue stands on its own and is extremely important. I hope you might consider removing this from your website: To explain the second source of his blindness to livestock’s role in global warming, I offer one of my personal quotes, “People love to hear good news about their bad habits.” With no intention to offend, I must point out that Al Gore’s physical appearance reflects overindulgence in the Western diet—filled with meat, chicken, seafood, milk, and cheese. To speak plainly, he cannot see over his own dinner plate. And possibly even remove the discussion about Gore’s financial connections. My reason? One, so that people don’t turn on what you say because it angers them. Two, it would be wonderful to get Gore’s support on plant-based consumption, and if cornered, that might not happen.
Just a thought. Since I support what you do to help people, I wanted to toss this feedback your way. Thanks again for writing about this topic.
Karen
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Thank you so much for this month’s addition to the Newsletter on this important subject. I did call Gore’s office and left a respectful message. As well as thanking him for his courage, I suggested, “…in your sequel (An Inconvenient Truth and how we are doing’), that you be just as courageous as you were and bring out this “Giant step for mankind”, the poisoning of the planet of over-breeding livestock. I am forwarding the letter to all.
I so appreciate your work. God Bless you!
Paris
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John – Thanks for your VERY IMPORTANT newsletter. We in the Sustainability Council are emphasizing locally-grown, plant-based diets as a central part of our program for local sustainability.
I know you are entirely aware of this but the following point needs to be emphasized as a way to motivate people to switch to a vegetarian diet. A plant-based diet would pay enormous economic benefits in terms of reduced health care costs, both at the individual level and at the national level. We spend an obscene amount of money on a health care system that is providing little more than symptomatic relief for our self-indulgent diets and leaving us only 37th in the world in health care delivery, behind Cuba and countries in Eastern Europe. The money we saved on health care would go a long way toward mitigating the environmental damage mentioned in the UN report as the result of the livestock industry. Imagine what we could do about global poverty and malnutrition by cutting in half our military expenditures at the same time!! Zowie!!
Don
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In the movie there is a very moving part where Gore describes his family’s tobacco growing heritage and how his father stopped growing tobacco only after smoking had killed his daughter (Al Gore’s younger sister). It was his father’s ‘Amazing Grace’ moment, I thought. Well, I think Al Gore needs an Amazing Grace moment here himself. Thank you Dr. McDougall, for pointing this out and being bold enough to push this. This needs to be aired in the public forum, somehow.
You know, I don’t think Americans as a whole will go for the idea of becoming vegetarians, at least not the majority. BUT, if cutting our meat consumption in half will make the difference I think that is a very reasonable argument to put forward. Will people reduce their meat consumption if they see the connection to the survival of the planet? For beef producers (farms/ranchers) I think you could argue that consumers reducing meat consumption might actually improve prices and help the small family farmer vs. the corporations. So, I don’t think this is an impossible discussion to have.
Anna S
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Dr. McDougall, The whole human population of the world going vegan will not save us without enforcing a population reduction policy as well (ie. a one child per woman policy). Gaia will reduce our population for us because we are incapable of doing so voluntarily.
Paul
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Dr. McDougall: I just can’t believe that someone like you can be so successful in his quest for truth when it comes to health and nutrition and fall short when it comes to global warming. Global warming is a political issue led by devious people like Al Gore and the UN for the purposes of acquiring power and destroying corporate America…..in that order. Do you honestly think that Al Gore is going to quit eating meat cause he thinks he’s contributing to the earth’s demise? I think not.
Respectfully, Dick
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This resource is a site by Steven Milroy: Steven J. Milloy is a columnist for Fox News and a paid advocate for Phillip Morris, ExxonMobil and other corporations. From the 1990s until the end of 2005, he was an adjunct scholar at the libertarian Cato Institute.
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WOW! FANTASTIC NEWSLETTER ARTICLES on global warming! We watched Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth” just two nights ago! We were speechless for a few minutes after it was over! Then I asked out loud, “Did I miss something or did he NOT mention the problems caused by raising livestock?” — It is almost like you HEARD me and answered my question!!! Thank you! Dr. McDougall, I PROMISE you that this little 89-pound, vegan, solar cooking, very energy saving McDougaller who uses NO AC in the summer and just enough heat to keep from freezing to death during the winter WILL do ALL SHE CAN to inform others of how consuming LESS livestock can save our plant — OUR HOME — that little dot in the vast universe! I am only ONE person, but if many other McDougallers join in (as I am SURE they will — after reading your article), I am optimistic that ALL of us can have a positive effect.
SB (BB)
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Bravo on the December Newsletter! This is one of the most succinct and clear explanations about the livestock link to global warming I’ve read! It will be going out to many of my friends, especially those who own hybrid cars, use fluorescent bulbs, and buy green electricity while pouring money into the livestock industry with their diet. If we want our children and grandchildren to be healthy, they not only need to be fed well now, but they need clean water and air thirty years from now. How wonderful that a healthy human and a healthy Earth need exactly the same things! Thank you, Dr. McDougall, for stepping up to the plate on this issue. What a lovely positive boost for starting the new year with better habits.
Anne (BB)
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Hi Anne, I couldn’t agree more!!! I just finished reading it and I am getting ready to forward to all my family members, friends, co-workers, anyone I can think of! I also intend to contact Al Gore’s office, per Dr. McD’s suggestion. Every once in a while I get discouraged and have little slips and wonder if it is really worth while going against the tide all the time. Well, I think it is really time to turn the tide! Dr. McDougall, you really inspired me, and helped strengthen my resolve, thank-you!
Becky (BB)
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I think the US government and its politicians are at the root of too many problems. Congress either lies or masks the truth in order to get support and votes. Although the vegan diet for health movement is growing, I believe most people will continue to eat the SAD diet until the government exposes the truth about the relationship between health and lifestyle. Similarly, the public will never believe the truth about global warming until the government and politicians expose it. Pressure for what’s right will bubble up from the public; but first the public must be given the entire truth. Armed with print-outs (ouch for the ink supply) of your web site’s global warming articles, we’re off to watch the Rose Bowl with friends. Thank you VERY much for this information. Happy New Year,
Jill
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Dear Dr. McDougall, This is in regard to your desire to see the planet saved. There’s no doubt that the planet needs saving. I don’t know if you are a religious man. But if you are, and if you use the Bible as your measure of important truths, you may know that the Creator is very much alive and already has his purpose and manner to save the planet. Neither is he delaying. The time that is passing by is serving the purpose of allowing mankind to see what disastrous results can occur from his rejection of Jehovah God’s universal sovereignty.
From the beginning in the Garden of Eden, man has been rebelling. You’ve heard the expression, “If you give a person enough rope he will hang himself.” Well, man is nearly at the end of his rope. Soon the Creator will declare to nations of the earth, in essence, “You have had enough time to prove that you can successfully manage the earth and its inhabitants. Now because of your stubbornness and pride, I am ridding the earth of you.” This Jehovah will do in the war of Armageddon which is God’s war against the nations. Humans do not need to engage in this war. It will be totally fought from heaven by God’s first-born son, Jesus Christ, together with the obedient angels and the resurrected co-rulers (co-heirs) of the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, the teachable (“meek”) from God’s standpoint, have noticed man’s failure to govern appropriately and are taking their stand in favor of God’s incoming government (God’s Kingdom for which Jesus taught his followers to pray). These will form the nucleus of a new society inhabiting the earth under God’s Kingdom. God’s Kingdom will save the earth.
So, if you are a god-fearing man, John, put faith in Jehovah’s ability and purpose to save the planet. See yourself, Mary, your children and your grandchildren in a Paradise earth. Global warming and ruination will be a thing of the past. Of course, what we can individually do for the sake of our consciences and perhaps a somewhat healthier and longer life is a plus. But remember too that “Who by being anxious can add a cubit to his lifespan?” In comparison to eternal life (which obedient mankind will eventually be rewarded), a few years longer in our old age is only a “cubit” in God’s estimation.
One’s duty now is to endure until deliverance arrives. Of course you are doing a good work in sharing your knowledge and understanding with your readers and patients. There is a great need for good physicians and quite a scarcity. If you have had much contact with Kaiser HMO, you know what I mean.
Keep up the good work and leave the planet in God’s hands. He knows exactly what to do and he will expose all the lies, the hypocrisy and the greed in his due time.
Respectfully, Elsa
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Greetings, Dr. McDougall. I’m writing in response to your request for feedback on meaningful ways to move forward with the global-warming crisis:
Please Help with the Solution: Over the next month, during every spare moment, think about this crisis. (I have been able to think of little else myself recently.) Watch Al Gore’s DVD, read the UN report, and Noam Mohr’s article in this newsletter. If you have not done so already, stop (or reduce) eating meat, poultry, fish and dairy—ask your family and friends to do the same and tell them why. Mail your thoughts to me at drmcdougall@drmcdougall.com. Next month’s (January 2007) newsletter will reflect our collective efforts for meaningful ways to move forward.
I’m an editor working with an author/scientist to publish a remarkable book on alcohol fuel that presents a sustainable, DOABLE, solution to global warming and many, many other social, economic, political, and ecological problems—from a systems perspective that incorporates permaculture farming and considers the health of the entire ecosystem. This author, David Blume, actually wrote this book 25 years ago, and PBS was funding the project along with a 10-part television series on the topic. As the book went to press, with more than 4,000 preorders in hand from PBS viewers, Chevron threatened to pull funding from PBS, and the book sat in a vault all these many years. As you know, the topic is now even more urgent…and we are working hard to get this book out asap.
You may be interested to know that David Blume received a patent in 2006 that has the potential to put a HUGE dent in Monsanto’s ability to sell Roundup and Roundup Ready seed…I am so eager to get this information out to the public!
Would you kindly write back and tell me about the size of your email subscription base and anything else that would help me approach him with this request?
Thank you!
Laurie
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Thank you for insightful comments in your December 2006 newsletter regarding global warming and the need to go vegan. I am sure you knew you were “preaching to the choir.” Over the past years our efforts to educate our grown children and other family members (all college grads) have been fruitless — except for my wife’s sister-in-law who is a retired librarian. She read “The China Study” and is using your recipes. Her husband is supportive but not a participant.
I have come to the realization that trying to educate others about good nutrition is like trying to tell an alcoholic to stop drinking. We support AA through our local Unitarian Universalist church and have learned from them that nothing works until the individual admits his/her dependence on alcohol and their need to change. I believe this is the same with “meat eaters.” They, too, must experience the complete destruction of their health to learn there is a better way to eat to live. And even then some people are deaf and blind to the facts!
Incidentally, I recently read that the growing need for corn for ethanol is starting to create a higher demand for livestock feed! This will be an interesting economic development for sure! And we know the golden rule of economics: “He with the most gold makes the rules.” Let me close with a phrase from the 60’s: “Keep the faith.”
Jim
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Hi there, I just finished your fine article. It doesn’t surprise me, though I would be surprised if the UN report generated any meaningful change. We are mostly vegetarian but do eat meat on occasion. We do NOT eat factory farm meat except on the occasions where we are guests at other people’s home and they are serving factory farm meat. Factory farm meat is wrong on every possible level and seriously grosses me out.
My question for you is what about locally raised free range meat? Eating less meat is, of course, a must but what about eating meat that has been raised on grass; has never been pumped full of chemicals; was purchased from a small local farmer with only a small number of animals; has been humanly treated while living; and humanly treated when slaughtered? Does eating animals like these contribute to the problem in any significant sort of way?
Americans will never give up their meat. I doubt they’ll even reduce their consumption. I’m very pessimistic about people changing and have given up on trying to persuade them to change. Now I just try to live in a way which sets a good example. I’m known as the crackpot in my family. No one will even think about listening to what I think about diet or the environment, though the salad I bring to family gatherings is always welcome and touted as the best ever. Not surprising considering it’s organic and fresh.
Thanks,
m.
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I agree… these are dynamite articles. Because I’m a scientist who worked in the environmental field for many years, this has always been a major incentive for my adoption of a veg*n diet. Anyone who has ever been involved in any kind of assessment of the environmental impact of livestock-raising facilities can’t help but be aware of the large negative effects they have. Heck, anyone who has ever driven by a large dairy facility and been nearly overcome by the ammonia fumes, will have had that experience. I understand chicken farms can also be “memorable”.
I remember being astonished that concrete building foundations were found to be rotting and crumbling away on land that had previously been used for dairy farming in southern California, due to the left-over soil contamination from cattle urine that had soaked the soil over the decades. Wanna buy one of those houses?
I loved Gore’s film, but already knew that it did not address the large effects from livestock. Hopefully this knowledge will become better understood. Up till recently, there have been very few sources for credible synthesis of the relevant data, especially sources understandable to the public. I think that’s been one of the problems.
Another problem has been blatant (and creative) attempts by recent governmental entities to (1) deny that global warming is even occurring, (2) suppress the obvious fact that atmospheric CO2 has increased dramatically and is at least contributing to the global warming, and (3) discourage non-governmental attempts at disengaging from fossil fuel use for energy. You’d think they would have given up on (1) by now, but recent administration attempts to squelch concerned scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey is just a continuation of the shameful efforts by the administration and its lawyers to censor and actually rewrite science.
A big thanks to Dr. McDougall for bringing these matters to our attention.
Pumpkin
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…and what different strategies are you using to help spread this information? Hopefully, by posting this, we can obtain ideas from one another, encourage each other to NOT give up, and maybe even inspire others to join in the cause! This is what I have done and am trying to do to: 1- Have written to Al Gore about his oversight about livestock farming in “An Inconvenient Truth”. 2- Have contacted my congressman about global warming and about how raising livestock plays a major part in it (through Al Gore’s global warming site). 3- Have emailed link to the McDougall Dec. 2006 newsletter (on global warming) to friends, family, and even business acquaintances — with short personal notes explaining why I did this. 4- Have printed out several copies of each of the two global warming articles in the Dec. 2006 McDougall Newsletter and stapled them together to create “handouts” that contain one copy of each article. On top of each “handout” is a note (handwritten in my neatest handwriting) asking each recipient to please read the two articles and then to pass the “handout” on to someone else who is asked to do the same — and so on, and so on… I am now in the process of distributing them. By doing this, (in addition to reusing paper and helping to conserve natural resources) I HOPE that the handouts will reach many people — with a high percentage of them being people that my husband and I do not know! …..and even if all of the ‘handouts’ are thrown in the trash before they get very far, hopefully, at least a few people will have read them.
Therefore, even if I lose many of my first battles, I will keep striving to win the war against global warming! I know that everything I have done and am trying to do, combined, is like only one drop of water in a large rain barrel. However, if every McDougaller does this or similar, I believe we CAN fill the barrel and help save our planet!
Dr. McDougall, thank you for supplying such great
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