Curious how many listeners/members of EVcast are interested in global climate change vs. cool new technology & how far they are willing to go for the cause...

This issue has come up, on occasion, but usually ignored, or quickly dimissed. Last year the United Nations release a report that concluded that the meat industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined! You don't hear Al Gore talking about it, but it's not just some fringe group (e.g. PETA), it's the United Nations, for christ's sake (as reported by ABC News & the NY Times - see links below).

If you can't buy an EV right now, but want to help the environment - would you give up meat?

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1856817

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/business/media/29adco.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1188396179-9kt3o2Nvm4rWVylP/tihgQ&oref=slogin

An interesting study- but there are many flaws with connecting this to replacing fossil-fuel-based transportation and energy generation. I could not find a total breakdown of what the UN used to determine the total emissions from animal farming, but some of what I read seemed to indicate that it included burning fossil fuel to process and transport said meat- so, obviously, replacing ICE vehicles and coal-fired plants will help in this area as well. Additionally, the UN report seemed to indicate that a large portion of the 3rd world relies on local animal stock to help them survive- so will not be easy to replace. Lastly, even the UN report suggested several other recommendations to lessen the impact of animal farming on our environment. Now, I am not saying that eating a bit less meat would be a bad thing- and there is the issue of water usage I am concerned about, moreso than the energy expended- but it seems a bit of a reach to elevate it to the same status of carbon-based transporation, energy generation, and manufacturing. And, frankly, eating meat is extremely enjoyable! I think there are solutions that do not include giving up my hamburger (well, at least I hope so;-)

Dave,
    I have heard this message many times before and have no doubt that it is true. However, I don't feel strongly motivated to give up meat. I am not sure why.
    It does remind me of a related issue of Solar Panels vs. Conservation. I find people far more interested in buying solar panels to stick on their house than understanding how to conserve electricity. Conservation is a far better investment. Often, conservation means not giving up anything or just a very little (a 30 second wait while your computer comes out of standby). However, there is not much interest. There is something about the ideas of "Giving up XX" that makes it a hard sell. Now BUYING something, that is something Americans can relate to.

Later,

John C. Briggs

I didn't read the entire UN report, just it's conclusions. I'm sure most people will vote NO, to the idea of giving up meat, as it's a tradition at the dinner table. Paul mentioned that stopping the transport of meat via ICE's may help - I hope so. John mentioned that Americans are more likely to BUY something to help, rather than QUIT anything... I think he hit the nail on the head with that one! But, I still hope that this idea, at least in the interim, will start to take off. It's something anyone can do, right now, until we have the freeways filled with EV's

Well, while I do not think I will (willingly) give up meat any time soon, your post did make me stop and consider that there are other issues that we will need to deal with in the not-so-distant future that I had not thought about previously- so thanks for posting about the UN report which I had not heard of until then- your post, if you'll forgive the pun, has given me a lot of food for thought;-)

Hey all! Just a followup to the cow poo problem;-) I recalled an episode I saw on the Science Channel that talked about turnig cow poo into electricity- very informative- you can see that segment at: ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytU8AJwHKO0

This memory was prompted by a post on Tyler's blog at:

http://tyler.blogware.com/

about research done at UT here in Austin.