In 1826, French lawyer and philosopher Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.” This invitation appeared in his treatise “Physiologie du Gout, ou Meditations de Gastronomie Transcendante” regarding why gout (taste) comes and goes. Jess Fanzo and Mario Herrero writing in The Guardian suggest what we eat is changing our climate too
Is Changing Our Climate Down to Emissions by Food?
Well partly yes, in the case of flatulent livestock processing their food. However, the problem is deeper than that. We are destroying forests that previously absorbed some of our emissions. And we are shipping food from exotic locations to satisfy our desire for variety.
However, the nature of the food we eat is changing our climate most. That’s according to food and climate scientists Jess Fanzo and Mario Herrero in The Guardian of October 8, 2019. They say the biggest problem is the animals we eat. On September 23, 2019 New Yorker reported “every 4lbs of beef you eat contributes to as much global warming as flying from New York to London”. That’s the amount of beef the average American eats every month.
Increasing Global Population is Chasing the Trend
Average red meat consumption per head has been steady overall since the 1990’s. However population growth is still changing our climate, especially in countries with high red meat content in their diets. Those most responsible are in Latin America, or members of the wealthy Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The climate stars – in this regard at least – are parts of Africa and South Asia. Both the Eat-Lancet Commission on Food, and the International Panel on Climate Change recommend a ‘flexitarian diet’. In terms of this, our diet should largely comprise “vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and unsaturated oils”.
We may also enjoy good-quality meat, dairy and sugar. However, these should be in far lower quantities than now. Changing our climate direction was never going to be easy. The longer we delay the tougher it will become, unless we are missing something you may know.
Related
Our Planet’s Future Depends On Our Food Choices
Fighting Climate Change in Our Small Garden
Preview Image: Physiologie du Gout
