Meat eaters guide : how your choices affect the environment [General]
2011 Jul 19
Fail. According to Diet for a Small Planet there is a huge difference between feedlot beef, and range beef ( factor of 8 ), but these guys lump them all together. And this is only greenhouse gasses - which is by no stretch of the imagination the be-all, end-all of "good for the environment"
2011 Jul 19
that reminds me of an infographic in a Good magazine from a while back regarding water use for certain commodities (and other uses). i agree that not all is the same, but it gives an idea.
awesome.good.is
awesome.good.is
2011 Jul 19
I didn't realize lamb was so bad . . .
I also read recently that it takes 1/6 the the water and food inputs to produce a pound of rabbit than it does for a pound of beef. Rabbit isn't on that chart, but I wonder where it would go.
Rabbit is popular in France. I've never had rabbit, but my wife says she really liked rabbit cooked with prunes.
Our kids would never sanction the eating of a cute little bunny at our house, though I have seen rabbit on sale at IGA.
Of course in Australia rabbits a basically considered rats with big ears.
I also read recently that it takes 1/6 the the water and food inputs to produce a pound of rabbit than it does for a pound of beef. Rabbit isn't on that chart, but I wonder where it would go.
Rabbit is popular in France. I've never had rabbit, but my wife says she really liked rabbit cooked with prunes.
Our kids would never sanction the eating of a cute little bunny at our house, though I have seen rabbit on sale at IGA.
Of course in Australia rabbits a basically considered rats with big ears.
2011 Jul 19
Let me guess . . . bacon !
Actually, though I'm almost vegan now, my favourite meat was/is pork. The best meat I ever had was in Cuba. We took a horseback ride up into the rugged mountains in south Cuba (the place where Castro landed in a small row boat and started the revolutionary war).
Along the way we saw what we thought were small feral pigs running through the jungle (on the way back, instead of feral pigs it was Cubans trying to sell us cigars - right in the jungle - but I digress). When we stopped for lunch there was a open fire pit with a roast pig over it on a spit. The guide cut up the pig and it was served to us on banana leaf. The meat was so tender it melted in my mouth, and the flavour was incredible.
It turns out the pigs we saw on the way were only semi wild. The villagers let them loose in the jungle to forage, where they could dig up roots, and eat grubs and get lots of fresh air, and exercise, and clean water. And boy that meat was good! I've never had anything like it since.
Did you see my post on the bacon products at thinkgeek?
www.thinkgeek.com
Actually, though I'm almost vegan now, my favourite meat was/is pork. The best meat I ever had was in Cuba. We took a horseback ride up into the rugged mountains in south Cuba (the place where Castro landed in a small row boat and started the revolutionary war).
Along the way we saw what we thought were small feral pigs running through the jungle (on the way back, instead of feral pigs it was Cubans trying to sell us cigars - right in the jungle - but I digress). When we stopped for lunch there was a open fire pit with a roast pig over it on a spit. The guide cut up the pig and it was served to us on banana leaf. The meat was so tender it melted in my mouth, and the flavour was incredible.
It turns out the pigs we saw on the way were only semi wild. The villagers let them loose in the jungle to forage, where they could dig up roots, and eat grubs and get lots of fresh air, and exercise, and clean water. And boy that meat was good! I've never had anything like it since.
Did you see my post on the bacon products at thinkgeek?
www.thinkgeek.com
2011 Jul 20
Thanks for the link - this is a report that everyone should read. I've heard it said that reducing meat consumption is by far the most significant contribution that the average person can make to protect the environment and counteracting climate change. Recycling, installing CFL bulbs, and other popular "green" measures, while helpful, pale in comparison. And tourist makes a good point: this is not an all-or-nothing proposition requiring huge lifestyle changes. Even relatively modest reductions in meat eating can have a big impact, if enough people buy into the proposition (a la recycling, etc.). The report gives some concrete examples that should be food for thought!
That reminds me... sometime last year, Ron Eade wrote in his blog that he'd had an epiphany (his word): he eats too much meat. I haven't seen him mention it since, though, and inquiring minds want to know - has he done anything about it? Not to put you on the spot (heh), but if you read this, Ron, how about reporting back?
That reminds me... sometime last year, Ron Eade wrote in his blog that he'd had an epiphany (his word): he eats too much meat. I haven't seen him mention it since, though, and inquiring minds want to know - has he done anything about it? Not to put you on the spot (heh), but if you read this, Ron, how about reporting back?
2011 Jul 20
I think this is all over kill (haha), when you consider the immense waste that occurs at grocery stores, corporate offices, and industry. The amount of electricity used by industrial plants makes any effort on the part of individuals virtually useless. I mean, look up at any office building at night, every single light will be turned on.
One can cut their own footprint (even though the science of carbon foot prints is pseudo-scientific at best) to appeal their own philosophical believes - which I wholeheartedly respect, but a little chart will not dissuade me from eating the meats they have listed.
However, in terms of taste and just the thought of the hell it must be for industrially raised animals, I much rather - and most often - purchase and eat local, small scale animal produce. Unfortunately, this is cost prohibitive for quite a lot of people.
Moral of my story, industrial power usage needs to be made more efficient, car companies need to stop building huge SUV's, and the government bureaucracy needs to switch to a paperless system. (Trust me, this is baffling - as a bureaucrat - the amount of paper waste makes me sick). Oh, and somebody needs to kick China in the nads, since it is worth mentioning that 80% of China's water supply is contaminated with benzene-like substances.
One can cut their own footprint (even though the science of carbon foot prints is pseudo-scientific at best) to appeal their own philosophical believes - which I wholeheartedly respect, but a little chart will not dissuade me from eating the meats they have listed.
However, in terms of taste and just the thought of the hell it must be for industrially raised animals, I much rather - and most often - purchase and eat local, small scale animal produce. Unfortunately, this is cost prohibitive for quite a lot of people.
Moral of my story, industrial power usage needs to be made more efficient, car companies need to stop building huge SUV's, and the government bureaucracy needs to switch to a paperless system. (Trust me, this is baffling - as a bureaucrat - the amount of paper waste makes me sick). Oh, and somebody needs to kick China in the nads, since it is worth mentioning that 80% of China's water supply is contaminated with benzene-like substances.
2011 Jul 22
Speaking of which, I was eating out yesterday, since it was so hot, but it started getting hot even in the restaurant.
Turns out the owner had gotten a special thermostat for this heating/cooling from Ontario Hydro that's supposed to save him money (actually it's kind of a trojan horse scam). It called peaksaver and it's not about saving money for the client at all. It's about reducing Ontario Hydro's power consumption in peak hours. It shut down his air conditioner, right in the middle of dinnertime.
That's a killer for business, as many people were eating out specifically to beat the heat. I can't imagine what it was like back in the kitchen either. Anyway we put our heads together and eventually he came up with the smart idea of resetting the time to 1 am, fooling the unit into thinking it was an off peak hour and restoring his air conditioning.
Hydro is offering a $50 rebate on your bill if you get one of these peaksavers, which actually gives Big Brother the ability to signal your unit to shut down. If a deal sounds too good to be true . . . it probably is.
p.s. I'm not giving the name of the restaurant, because when you sign up for the peaksaver the small print actually prohibits you from fooling or tampering with the device.
Turns out the owner had gotten a special thermostat for this heating/cooling from Ontario Hydro that's supposed to save him money (actually it's kind of a trojan horse scam). It called peaksaver and it's not about saving money for the client at all. It's about reducing Ontario Hydro's power consumption in peak hours. It shut down his air conditioner, right in the middle of dinnertime.
That's a killer for business, as many people were eating out specifically to beat the heat. I can't imagine what it was like back in the kitchen either. Anyway we put our heads together and eventually he came up with the smart idea of resetting the time to 1 am, fooling the unit into thinking it was an off peak hour and restoring his air conditioning.
Hydro is offering a $50 rebate on your bill if you get one of these peaksavers, which actually gives Big Brother the ability to signal your unit to shut down. If a deal sounds too good to be true . . . it probably is.
p.s. I'm not giving the name of the restaurant, because when you sign up for the peaksaver the small print actually prohibits you from fooling or tampering with the device.
2011 Jul 26
Here is a link to peaksaver. It is supposed to be for residential customers only, but I guess it depends on what restaurant you were in. They are very upfront about the BigBrother control. (full disclosure, I would never sign up for this program)
www.hydroone.com
I would be careful about posting any more information about your work-around. I suspect the restaurant is also in violation of their contract with Hydro One (assuming they are in Ottawa).
www.hydroone.com
I would be careful about posting any more information about your work-around. I suspect the restaurant is also in violation of their contract with Hydro One (assuming they are in Ottawa).
2011 Jul 26
I don't believe that changing the time would count as tampering with the device! I have a PeakSaver thermostat and I love it. On the 2 or 3 hottest days of the year, they adjust my thermostat by 2 degrees, on a 50% duty cycle (alternating with another PeakSaver customer to make up the other 50%). It's barely noticeable, and since it's relative to my normal thermostat setting I'm technically still in control.
I consider it win-win (give and take on both sides), and the free touch screen thermostat is quite nice. Can't say I use the on-line temperature programming feature, but it could be useful when away on vacation.
I consider it win-win (give and take on both sides), and the free touch screen thermostat is quite nice. Can't say I use the on-line temperature programming feature, but it could be useful when away on vacation.
2011 Jul 27
The funniest thing about the peaksaver program is Ontario is generating too much power and paying Manitoba and Quebec $35M to take the extra watts.
www.vancouversun.com
www.vancouversun.com
Pasta lover