Please Do Not Tap On the Glass

I’ve been sitting on a recent DawnWatch Alert about in vitro meat because I wanted to learn more about it before forming an opinion. After listening to Science Friday on NPR last week and visiting their Web site and finding more resources, I chatted with MsOrganicLady about the possibility of creating meat artificially, without any animal farming. Our initial reaction was “EWW!” but then I asked “Why do we think it’s gross?” We’re vegans and we’re probably not going to eat anything that closely resembles animal flesh, but after reading more about it, I think it’s the way to go. Read on …

In addition to press coverage by the The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and others, PETA announced a $1 million prize to the first scientist to produce and bring to market in vitro meat. The contest states it must be available by June 30, 2012.

Why is PETA supporting this new technology? More than 40 billion chickens, fish, pigs, and cows are killed every year for food in the United States in horrific ways. Chickens are drugged to grow so large they often become crippled, mother pigs are confined to metal cages so small they can’t move, and fish are hacked apart while still conscious—all to feed America’s meat addiction. In vitro meat would spare animals from this suffering. In addition, in vitro meat would dramatically reduce the devastating effects the meat industry has on the environment.

Of course, humans don’t need to eat meat at all—vegetarians are less likely to get heart disease, diabetes, or various types of cancer or become obese than meat-eaters are—and a terrific array of vegetarian mock meats already exist. But as many people continue to refuse to kick their meat addictions, PETA is willing to help them gain access to flesh that doesn’t cause suffering and death.

The three or four of you who read my blog regularly know I’ve written about the issues surrounding factory farming – cruelty to animals, devastating environmental affects – but now we have a new wrinkle – biofuels and a world grain shortage.

Here’s what I learned by visiting the In Vitro Meat Consortium (I didn’t know there was such a body, but they’re apparently quite busy working on this solution):

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations’ recent report Livestock’s long shadow – environmental issues and options, “global production of meat is projected to more than double from 229×109 kg/year in 1999/2000 to 465×109 kg/year in 2050 (Steinfeld et al. 2006, FAO document). The bulk of growth will occur in developing countries through intensive production systems where economies of scale will cause a steady increase of the size of operations. It is expected that the future growth of livestock output will be based on similar growth rates for feed concentrate use.

“The total area occupied by livestock grazing is around 34×106 km2, which is equivalent to 26 percent of the land surface area of the planet (Steinfeld et al. 2006). The total area used for feedcrop production is about 4.7×106 km2, equivalent to 33 percent of all cropland. Most of this cropland is located in OECD countries, but some developing countries are rapidly expanding their feedcrop production, notably maize and soybean in South America, in particular Brazil. The total remaining area suitable for rain-fed production is estimated to be about 28×106 km2, of which 45 percent is forest area (12.6×106 km2) (Steinfeld et al. 2006). Livestock contribute about 9 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions, 37 percent of methane and 65 percent of nitrous oxide. In terms of CO2 equivalents the gaseous emissions from livestock production amounts to about 18 percent of the global warming effects. This is more than the contribution from the total transportation sector. Concerning polluting gaseous emissions not linked to climate change, livestock waste contributes 68 percent of total emissions of ammonia (30×109 kg/year) (Steinfeld et al. 2006). About 0.13×106 km2 of forest is lost per year and the majority is converted to agricultural land (Steinfeld et al. 2006).

Sobering, isn’t it?

George Monbiot, a writer for the U.K. Guardian wrote a recent commentary about the world grain shortage and how we can solve it by eating less meat. Here are excerpts from my recently posted DawnWatch Alert on his commentary:

At 2.1bn tonnes, the global grain harvest broke all records last year – it beat the previous year’s by almost 5 percent. The crisis, in other words, has begun before world food supplies are hit by climate change. If hunger can strike now, what will happen if harvests decline?

“There is plenty of food. It is just not reaching human stomachs. Of the 2.13bn tonnes likely to be consumed this year, only 1.01bn, according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, will feed people.”

Monbiot goes on to state that “While 100m tonnes of food will be diverted this year to feed cars, 760m tonnes will be snatched from the mouths of humans to feed animals – which could cover the global food deficit 14 times. If you care about hunger, eat less meat.”

There is compelling scientific data that proves that biofuels are not the chief cause of the current food shortage as some newspapers would have you believe. The overwhelming cause is factory farming for your eating habits.

Another aspect of global warming pollution and deforestation and the food crisis that is ALWAYS overlooked, deliberately, is the booming world population. We simply have to stop making so many human animals. We’re killing everything and eventually, we’ll die off, too. I’ve read estimates of 6.6 billion for the planet, of which 1.13 billion live in India, 1.3 billion in China, and 300 million in the U.S. Hmm … I wonder who eats the most meat?

The USDA reports that Americans, PER PERSON, eat 50.5 pounds of pork, 65 pounds of beef, and 85.4 pounds of poultry – EVERY YEAR. That’s 40 billion land animals tortured during their short lives for TASTE. It is abundantly clear that we do not need to eat animals for protein and yet this gluttony and complete disregard for non-human animal life or any horrible affects on the environment continues unabated.

The New Harvest foundation are among those trying to develop in vitro meat. Their Web site states “meat — both in its production and in its consumption — has a number of adverse effects on human health, environmental quality, and animal welfare. These include: diseases associated with the over-consumption of animal fats; meat-borne pathogens and contaminants; antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to the routine use of antibiotics in livestock; inefficient use of resources in cycling grains and water through animals to produce protein; soil, air, and water pollution from farm animal wastes; and inhumane treatment of farm animals. As meat consumption continues to increase, worldwide, these problems are now a global concern.”

They have links to already-available meat substitutes, some of which are quite good, and information about their research into creating in vitro meat, as well as a wealth of information about the health, cruelty and environmental problems associated with factory farming.

OK, this is just the tip of the iceberg of this fascinating subject, and I agree that it’s somewhat overwhelming. So, take some time to read the links provided and do your own digging and learn what you can do, what you MUST do, to change how you live and start saving the planet and stop worrying so much about the inconvenience of the undeniable truth.

s.