Big meat’s big PR investments are blocking climate action
Big meat’s big PR investments are blocking climate action
www.energymonitor.ai
Big meat’s big PR investments are blocking climate action
21 comments
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A similar recent article that I thought was interesting and contains many sources: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/23778399/media-ignores-climate-change-beef-meat-dairy. It focuses a bit more on the role of media though. They also have this older article on big meat lobbying.
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Two other good ones that I've read recently were:
He’s an Outspoken Defender of Meat. Industry Funds His Research, Files Show.
and
Inside big beef’s climate messaging machine: confuse, defend and downplay
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Hehe big meat
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GO VEGAN
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I bought a reusable straw. What more do you want from me? /s
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4 meat eaters didn't like this post
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Not sure if you mean that it's dumb that the meat industry does this or that the article is dumb. If the latter, it's worth noting that the meat industry's contributions to climate change are enough to make us miss climate targets on their own
To have any hope of meeting the central goal of the Paris Agreement, which is to limit global warming to 2°C or less, our carbon emissions must be reduced considerably, including those coming from agriculture. Clark et al. show that even if fossil fuel emissions were eliminated immediately, emissions from the global food system alone would make it impossible to limit warming to 1.5°C and difficult even to realize the 2°C target. Thus, major changes in how food is produced are needed if we want to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
(emphasis mine)
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According to a 2021 NYU study published in the science journal Springer, ExxonMobil, one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world, spent $235m on lobbying between 2000 and 2018. US-based Tyson, the second-largest meat company in the world after Brazil’s JBS, spent more than $25m between 2001 and 2018. As a share of each company's total revenue over those periods, Tyson spent 21% more on lobbying than ExxonMobil, found the research
Wow
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The influence of the meat industry is reminiscent of the influence of the oil and gas industry
Interesting, I usually compare it to the tobacco industry. Meat kills so many people in my country, yet Big Meat still goesion TV and lies that meat is healthy with a straight face.
Most of us know the truth, and eventually we'll have pictures of rotten hearts on packages of meat with warnings from the surgeon general. And hopefully time served for these lying meat execs
21 comments
Nothing’s blocking people from cutting meat out of their diet.
I mean, it is a pretty big change for some. I've been vegetarian for a few years now, but I still remember how much of a change in what I ate it was at the time. It helps a ton if you know how to cook, and find new recipes that use tofu or other meat alternatives.
Even everyone skipping one meat meal a week would have a huge impact. But really what I was getting at was that no matter what shenanigans the meat industry is pulling, they can’t force anyone to eat meat. The headline/angle of the story was a bit much. A lot of it reminds me of the oil industry — as alternatives become more and more attractive, people will naturally graduate towards whatever is cheaper and tastier.
I’ve also read they are experimenting with changing livestock diets to cut down on methane emissions. Which is good, but I’d also like to see more legislation to treat the animals humanely. Too much corporate farming these days is cruel.
The "final straw" in my diet: I subscribed to a "surprise bag" of 3 kg of vegetables every other week. Stuff that's too big, too crooked, too small... whatever keeps it from regular supermarket shelves. Mostly local and seasonal, always fresh and organic.
3 kilograms is quite a lot for one person when you add some pasta or rice or bread or whatever to make a complete meal.
There's hardly any room for meat left in my stomach. And I often have to find new recipes because sometimes there's stuff in this bag which I wouldn't buy otherwise.
While this is true, it would help to shift subsidies on animal products to more sustainable options and add a tax on animal products.
People are more likely to buy healthier food that's better for the climate if it's also the cheapest option.
I think you may have accidentally removed your own default upvote on your comment. I've had that happen to me before (not sure how but somehow it's happened)