Monday August 5th… Dear Diary. The main purpose of this ongoing blog will be to track United States extreme or record temperatures related to climate change. Any reports I see of ETs will be listed below the main topic of the day. I’ll refer to extreme or record temperatures as ETs (not extraterrestrials).😉
Fake Meat…A Useful Tool To Combat Climate Change
Many of us in the past decade have decided to drive hybrids or all electrics to lessen our carbon footprint. Some of us have taken another step by erecting solar panels or making sure that at least part of where we get our electricity from the grid is from green sources. What about doing something about our diet?
My inner carnivore loves meat so I was very reluctant to try a healthier vegetarian diet. In the last year or so however, I see that grocery stores were beginning to carry fake meat options. I’ve tasted a few, which do satisfy my cravings for chicken and fish. I decided to give up pork long ago, so I have not been tempted to try this fake option. Even some of the fake beef tastes O.K. although as one advertisement goes, “you can’t fake steak.” Or can you? Doubtless since all meat is made of digested vegetable matter grown as muscle by animals, eventually any steak will be duplicated via research from chemestry.
We all know now that a more vegetarian diet is a healthier diet. The human digestive system is geared for us to be herbivores. Complications of all sorts arise when any of us consume too much meat, particularly red meat. Also, the more I look at real meat in stores the more I think of suffering that animals go through in order for human carnivore cravings to be satiated. Doubtless over the next century or so through science and dietary education we will “evolve” towards being totally vegetarian.
My aid is a raw vegan foodist who is extremely healthy. The man looks like he is at least fifteen years younger than his present age. I’m not prepared yet to eat nothing but raw fruits and vegetables, but eating fake meat is a great step towards that eventual goal. What I have found in outlets such as Whole Foods is healthier than new Burger King “Impossible Burgers,” but even that option is much less carbon intensive:
Oh, and incidentally despite being a paraplegic with paralyzed feet, going on a strict vegetarian, low carb diet with some good exercise thrown in for good measure for six months has allowed the old Climate Guy to shed 50 pounds. How about them healthy apples folks!
We have a very long way to go, though, to become total herbivores:
The above picture with a link to an article all should read looks similar to a great vegan meal that I had at a restaurant called R Thomas on Peachtree Road with Bob Henson of Weather Underground over the weekend. If you are ever in Atlanta check this hip food place out. We didn’t even think twice about ordering a meat entrée.
So, while educating people about what they can do to help the climate please talk about becoming more vegan. I’m optimistic that fake meat alternatives will only improve taste and texture wise, and that they can be a great bridge towards both becoming a vegetarian, helping us all shrunk our big carbon footprints.
Speaking of agriculture and food:
Here is more climate and weather news from Monday:
(As usual, this will be a fluid post in which more information gets added during the day as it crosses my radar, crediting all who have put it on-line. Items will be archived on this site for posterity. In most instances click on the pictures of each tweet to see each article.)
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Guy Walton- “The Climate Guy”