“No Meat, No Heat, No Cook;” No “Please Sir, May I Have Some More” – Oliver Twist Expected Cooked Gruel
Steve Dittmer | AFF Sentinel
Colorado Springs, CO
Originally sent to subscribers 11/30/23
Sometimes the cause of a problem can be traced to a particular event; even if the particular event is based on false claims.
For the beef industry, a seminal event was the publication of “Livestock’s Long Shadow (LLS),” put out by the UN-Food and Agriculture Organization and based on false data later withdrawn and admittedly miscalculated. It was up to a California professor and scientist Dr. Frank Mitloehner at UC-Davis to point out the errors in the report and force retraction.
But the damage was done. Media and activists around the globe trumpeted the false calculation that livestock production was the number two source of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) worldwide.
From the LLS report:
The livestock sector is a major player, responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent. This is a higher share than transport.
Transport meaning all the cars, trucks, planes and trains in the world. Of course, that figure was faulty and in the U.S., the EPA has said livestock account for three percent, compared to 26 percent for U.S. transport and 14 percent global transport.
Again from the LLS report:
Although economically not a major global player, the livestock sector is socially and politically very significant. It accounts for 40 percent of agricultural gross domestic product (GDP). It employs 1.3 billion people and creates livelihoods for one billion of the world’s poor. Livestock products provide one-third of humanity’s protein intake, and are a contributing cause of obesity and a potential remedy for undernourishment.
Note they consider animal products for obesity yet state we only produce one-third of the protein and yet are a potential remedy for the undernourished. But they blithely propose mandating major change for that many people and their livelihoods.
To give one a flavor of their attitude towards grazing:
“Extensive grazing still occupies and degrades vast areas of land…”
Over and over, activists and leftist government have been seeking or passing laws and regulations designed to restrict livestock production and grazing, to use cattle as a pawn in their climate change crusade. Even the firms manufacturing fake meat have specifically quoted the LLS as a reason for inventing fake meat to help save the planet.
It has become obvious that the UN has become a far leftist conglomeration of countries without the economic and cultural benefits of even the West, much less the USA. It has become the basic world organization for wealth redistribution from the West. Climate change has become a primary tool in the redistribution of western wealth to poorer and developing countries around the world. Part of that redistribution involves inhibiting basics like energy, food and nutrition that the West, on average, has in abundance and non-free-market countries lack.
So it’s no real surprise that the UN is releasing their recommendations that meat-eating countries reduce their consumption, in the name of reducing their inflated claims of GHG emissions. They are perfectly willing to make other global citizens suffer economically, nutritionally and eating satisfaction, based on false data and, likely, to punish cultures different than theirs.
Along the same lines, a U.S. senator, a German member of Parliament and a Canadian senator have been circulating a letter to UN members and other attendees, calling for the U.S., the number one producer of 24 percent of the world’s natural gas, to stop new development of gas drilling and transport infrastructure
Sen. Edward Markey )D-MA) is leading the effort from the U.S., according to Fox News Digital. The letter said the U.S. is “hurtling towards a massively harmful expansion of liquid natural gas (LNG) infrastructure.”
The letter even admits that natural gas was “originally looked to” to handle the energy “crisis” but no more is needed.
Not mentioned was the fact that Europeans were saved a cold, cold winter last season by the U.S.’ LNG capacity when Russia cut off gas supplies when the Ukraine war started.
U.S. carbon emissions have declined nearly 20 percent since 2006 -- hardly any other country has reduced emissions -- largely because of the transition from coal to natural gas.
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwomen Kathy McMorris Rodgers voiced the thought that could be applied to the meat industry and nutrition as well as fossil fuels.
“We should instead be working to build on our remarkable legacy, which has transformed the human condition, helped lift people out of poverty and raised the standard of living.”
Lawmakers from U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K. and the E.U. have supported the letter, which will be part of the “Global Parliamentary Inquiry on the Progress of the Fossil Fuel Phase-Out.”
That gives you some flavor of the thinking of those global pontificators, the really, self-appointed “parliamentarians” intent on deciding our future.
To contribute to AFF, click link below:
(Old link is in column at right.)
Edi. Note: Picture below courtesy beef Check off).