Cowspiracy

[colonyofcells]

Lots of people have already died bec of global warming and I still see climate scientists flying in planes, going around in cars, etc. and I've not heard of climate scientists changing their diets.

[baardmk]

??

And besides that point,
why not
just start a new thread(possibly linking the old thread you thought of)
and don't revive ghost-threads,
unless there's very good reasons to bring up an ancient conversation.

Sincerely yours

[Spiral]

I just listened to Sailesh Roa on the Rich Roll podcast. He argues that becoming vegan is the one most important acts that one can take to solve the global warming and climate change problem. Here is the podcast:

http://www.richroll.com/podcast/sailesh-rao/

Sailesh Roa has a book on this topic (which I am going to read) and a website on this topic. The website is:

http://www.climatehealers.org/

At the website scroll down and listen to his 3 minute speech which sums up his view on this topic.

His book is: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/146792 ... 1_1&sr=8-1

Sailesh Roa has a scientific background as an electrical engineer and has a Ph.D. from Stanford University.

I didn't realize that we had a global warming room and I'm going to post this in that room also.....

Sounds interesting. I'll have to check that out.

In a recent email chat about nutrition-food-health with some of my relatives, on of my relatives wrote something like this . . . .

I really get my back up when people state with absolute certainty that the world would be somehow better if everyone would go vegan. As someone who not only cares deeply about the planet, but is also a biologist, this really upsets me. Life on Earth is complex. Ruminants evolved to fill an essential niche. I firmly believe that the planet and definitely a healthy farm needs ruminants and other traditional farm animals. I am a big proponent of managed grazing (holistic grazing it is sometimes called). If everyone stops eating meat, then I can only imagine that the soil will be further destroyed, and we will become more, not less dependent on petroleum-intensive industrial agriculture.

I think this is what we have to deal with. Concerns that if we don't have lots of farm animals, our soils will become unfarmable.

[colonyofcells]

I've heard that farming and farm animals did coevolve altho the whole process is probably not sustainable so might need to find something more efficient than using farm animals if that is possible.

[mike at the river]

"Hopefully it will get them talking about the cow in the room" Love this quote.

---It will be interesting to see if methane and animal agriculture are mentioned in the international environmental summit this Mon, in Paris.

[Skip]

In a recent email chat about nutrition-food-health with some of my relatives, on of my relatives wrote something like this . . . .

Another great voice for the argument that being vegan is critical to reduce global warming and "resource depleation" is Richard Oppenlander:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2E2CsVyRxU

We are going to have water shortage problems (like California) if we continue eating animals for food which will lead to many many more problems....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fws0f9s4Bas

[Risto]

Meanwhile in China: China Is Building a Giant Animal-Cloning Factory to Feed the Masses

That short piece is not too informative. I assume the factory is expected to produce cloned animals for breeding, not directly for meat production. I would also assume that it won't do much to improve the efficiency of animal production, compared to feeding the masses with plants.

[colonyofcells]

China has to prepare for the expected increase in demand for animal products as people become richer and population grows, since human behavior is quite predictable and it is better to be realistic. China is probably correct in assuming most people won't go vegan. In china, there are always revolutions if there are food shortages so the government does not like to be replaced. A brief summary of chinese history shows endless revolutions bec of the usual food shortages. Continued population growth in china and india will mean increase in demand for fossil fuels and nuclear plants.

[Risto]

In china, there are always revolutions if there are food shortages so the government does not like to be replaced.

Agreed, but I don't think cloning animals will do anything to help. The "feeding the masses" bit was probably some kind of misunderstanding on the part of the journalist when they slapped on the headline. I suspect the people setting up the cloning factory are just aiming for more efficient breeding and even quality of animals, and know perfectly well that growing cows etc. is not going to become more efficient by any significant amount.

[bbq]

It begs questions about the quality of life the world’s richest nation will tolerate for its poorer citizens, questions that have been thrown into sharp relief by the recent entry into North Carolina of China’s—indeed the world’s—largest pork processor, WH Group. Drawn by the low cost of production there, WH Group finds it cheaper to raise pigs in North Carolina and export them to tables back home than to raise the animals in China. The irony is not lost on the residents of Duplin County.

“The poor people, they literally get shit on,” says Kemp Burdette, who advocates for better water quality in North Carolina’s Cape Fear River with the nonprofit, the Cape Fear River Watch.

More than 500 North Carolinians who live near the company’s sprawling lakes of toxic pig manure brought the complaints. They contend that their health and property values are being hurt by the manure lagoons and that the Chinese owners are making the situation worse by expanding pig farms to export more hams, bacon and loins to China.

One manure lagoon cited in the lawsuit captures 4.3 million gallons of feces, urine and flush water per year. To empty the lagoon, its foul-smelling sludge is sprayed on adjacent fields – creating a fine mist of feces, urine and water that neighbors complain blows onto their properties and homes. The lawsuit calls it a nuisance.

Law and Odor? Stink Wars? Externalities on steroids.

[Hal]

Where does one watch this? I checked U toob but found only trailers.

[bbq]

It's available on Netflix, and the original cut could be found below:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2zuhks

[Hal]

Thanks, bbq. Looks like it will be good.