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Page added on June 2, 2010
UN: Fossil-fuel use and feeding world cause greatest environmental impacts
Perhaps controversially, it also calls for a significant shift in diets away from animal based proteins towards more vegetable-based foods in order to dramatically reduce pressures on the environment.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which hosts the Panel, said: “Decoupling growth from environmental degradation is the number one challenge facing governments in a world of rising numbers of people, rising incomes, rising consumption demands and the persistent challenge of poverty alleviation—thus setting priorities would seem prudent and sensible in order to fast track a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy.”
“The Panel have reviewed all the available science and conclude that two broad areas are currently having a disproportionately high impact on people and the planet’s life support systems—these are energy in the form of fossil fuels and agriculture, especially the raising of livestock for meat and dairy products,” he said.
“Smart market mechanisms, more intelligent fiscal policies and creative policy-making are among the options for internalizing the costs of unsustainable patterns. Some tough choices are signaled in this report, but it may prove even more challenging for everyone if the current paths continue into the coming decades,’ added Mr. Steiner.
2 Comments on "UN: Fossil-fuel use and feeding world cause greatest environmental impacts"
nano on Thu, 3rd Jun 2010 6:57 am
This is yet another call on people to reduce their consumption of meat. I discussed this with some of my friends who still think I am a complete nutcase for having become a vegetarian 15 years ago. One of my friends had a great argument against switching to meat, though, this time, which I couldn’t counter. He said: “I should eat as much meat/fish as I want and can afford. What the politicians need to do is introduce a tax on meat so the poor are motivated to eat less meat. That will solve the problem faster than if I should eat less meat voluntarily.”
Edpeak on Sat, 5th Jun 2010 11:46 am
Unfortunately, either your friend, or other anti-vegetarians will then complain about “big government” creating taxes. So damned either way. Taxes? “Stop this, you big-government vegetarian hippies” No-taxes? “Well, my not eating meat won’t make much of a difference, so why don’t you tax it instead?”
Either way, they get to keep hurting the planet, not to mention their own health, not to mention killing more animals like pigs, who sense pain and fear as much as their pet dog does.
Maybe the only hope is to send people cool recipes like vegweb.com and veganchef.com great places to search for recipes by type,or by ingredient you like in the case of veganchef