Here are some articles that have recently caught my attention. Every week the news presents further reasons to take up plant based diets, whether it is by describing the benefits of a plant-based diet, or the suffering of animals in intensive farms. The climate emergency is growing – inaction is not an option – veganism will be part of the solution
The COP28 Climate Conference, held at the end of 2023 was notable for including a global declaration on reducing emissions from food production [1]
The first global declaration on reducing emissions from food production is a start, researchers say—but it sidesteps contentious issues such as meat consumption
Bird Flu has reached the Antarctic Region [2a]
In October it was reported that the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in brown skua populations on Bird Island, South Georgia – the first known cases in the Antarctic region.
The Guardian reports that scientists fear for the isolated penguin and seal populations that have never been exposed [2b]
The virus has multiplied in industrial chicken farms, where stress and severe crowding create a breeding ground for infectious diseases [3]
Salmon
In November “an animal welfare disaster on a scale never previously seen” was reported at an Icelandic Salmon farm. Hundreds of thousands of salmon were filmed suffering from a severe infestation of sea lice, causing lesions and open sores, and had to be destroyed [4]. These infections are common in salmon farms and can spread to wild fish.
UK Food Insecurity and Unsustainability
The plodding progress of UK food strategy took another step in December five years after Michael Gove announced a review of the UK food system [5] and 18 months after it was condemned by its own lead adviser [6].
In December, the Environmental Audit Committee published a report on Environmental Change and Food Security [7].
On the positive side it contains a very interesting survey of issues such as trade, production, livestock, biodiversity, land use, water impact and self-sufficiency among others from many informed contributors.
However, from a vegan perspective, the outcomes are not promising.
Mark Spencer, Minister of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries, invokes fears of communism at the slightest suggestion of land reform [8] even when it is pointed out that “Just over half (51%) of UK land is used for grazing or grass for livestock, but it produces a very small proportion of our food”.
CO2 Warming
The urgency to reduce CO2 emissions is seen from a recent graph of atmospheric CO2 concentration provided by the Mauna Loa Observatory. Red lines show a seasonal oscillation, but the general trend shows a continual annual increase with no hint of a slowdown [9]. Plant-based diets will be an important part of reducing man-made Green House Gas emissions
Ed Winters published a new book at the end of December [10]
“How to Argue With a Meat Eater, and Win Every Time” covers many of the arguments used for and against veganism.
I can recommend it to both vegans and omnivores for its informative and fair discussions.
The River Wye
The Environment Agency has been accused of ‘scandalous neglect’ over chicken excrement entering River Wye [11]
Effluent and contaminated waters at free-range egg farms have been flowing directly into watercourses.
The Wye has been blighted by poultry pollution with hundreds of new production units approved in the last two decades to feed the nation’s huge demand. Much discussion with farmers about mitigating the effects has not resolved the problem.
Clearly demand must be reduced.
Even better, demand must be eliminated by taking up a vegan diet.
Given the state of the river this is a reasonable and obvious solution.
References
[1] https://www.carbonbrief.org/cop28-key-outcomes-agreed-at-the-un-climate-talks-in-dubai
[2a] https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/first-confirmed-cases-of-avian-influenza-in-the-antarctic-region
[2b] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/24/catastrophic-penguins-and-seals-at-risk-as-bird-flu-reaches-antarctic-aoe
[3] https://plantbasednews.org/opinion/opinion-piece/bird-flu-antarctica/
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/03/sea-lice-outbreak-icelandic-salmon-farm-welfare-disaster-footage-shows
[5] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/27/leon-restaurants-co-founder-henry-dimbleby-uk-food-system-review
[6] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/13/food-plan-for-england-condemned-by-its-own-lead-adviser
[7] https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmenvaud/312/summary.html
[8] https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/13514/html/
[9] https://gml.noaa.gov/ccgg/trends/weekly.html
[10] https://www.howtoarguewithameateater.com/
[11] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/13/environment-agency-accused-of-scandalous-neglect-over-chicken-excrement-entering-river-wye
