rachsoup’s Recent Comments

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  I'm so glad that this article features meat as a cause of global warming as a central argument, and not just an aside.  So often I hear lecturers presenting or read papers that completely gloss over the role of diet in climate change.  When I go out to eat with a well-known climate change activist or academic, and I watch them order filet mignon--their enviro-cred plummets in my mind.  It is widely excepted now that industrial agriculture plays a part second only to transportation in its contribution to global greenhouse gases.  And as "development" speeds up in the Global South (thus bringing the North/West diet of meat and dairy) this dietary component is going to become more and more of an issue. 

  On Globesity: How climate change and obesity draw from the same roots posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago 7 Responses

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  In view of the similarly themed article re: the state of fisheries worldwide, this is a really timely article.  With increased attention on cafos and the environmental impact of eating a red meat based diet, it seems more and more people are turning to the other other other white meat.  But as the author points out, fish are not as innocuous as they first appear.  Many of the fish you might buy at the supermarket--unless expressly labeled otherwise--are in fact factory farmed, and as such are pumped with antibiotics and hormones.  Furthermore, many of the food savored in the West are at the top of their respective food chains, and thus not only bio-accumulate toxins such as mercury and PCBs, but also are really energy intensive.  Remember the food chain from middle school--sun to grasses to antelope to lion?  Well, eating tuna or swordfish is the equivalent of eating a lion.  There are no other (in the West) carnivorous animals that are habitually eaten...why should top level fish species be the exception? 

  While clearly no choice is ever completely free from consequences, choosing fish that are lower down the food chain at least reduces the toxin levels in the flesh and energy needed to produce it.

  On Is your favorite seafood unhealthy for the planet? posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago 4 Responses