Animals
Protected Areas .. Not!
The hope is that protected areas are safe from human impact. However, conservationists conducting a survey on a remote (protected) island off the coast of the UK, spotted thousands of undigested elastic bands and believe seabirds – mistaking them for worms -- carry them there from the mainland where they forage for food. The elastics are believed to come from horticultural farms using them to tie bunches of flowers. theguardian.com
Food
Foods That Are Better For Us …
A new study led by Oxford University is one of the first to compare the human health impact of what we eat with its environmental impact. The study shows that, in almost all instances, what’s good for us is good for the planet and slowing down the climate crisis. It shows that human dietary health is inextricably linked to planetary health. “We now know that making our nutrition a priority will …
Climate Change
… Are Better For the Climate Too!
… pay dividends for the Earth, as well,” the researchers said. For example, whole grains, nuts and vegetables are low relative risk for diabetes, coronary heart disease and general mortality. Similarly, their environmental impact from GHGs, acidification and land-use is negligible too. And the worst offender is: processed red meat. Anthropocenemagazine.org
speaking words of wisdom
“Eating mostly plant-based foods while reducing the global consumption of animal products, especially ruminant livestock, can improve human health and significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions … moreover, this will free up croplands for growing much needed plant-based food instead of livestock feed, while releasing some grazing land to support natural climate solutions.”
— The Alliance of World Scientists (report in Bioscience, Nov 2019).
“When we think about threats to the environment, we tend to picture cars and smokestacks, not dinner. But the truth is, our need for food poses one of the greatest dangers to the planet.”
— National Geographic
Photo: Mackenzie Taylor /Unsplash
on the horizon
Compared With Insects, Plants Are Looking Even Tastier!
According to the UN’s FAO, two billion people eat insects every day. Out of the more than 2,100 types of edible insects, the most commonly consumed are: ants; beetles; bees; caterpillars; cicadas; crickets; dragon flies; grasshoppers; locusts; termites; and wasps. If this information is acting as an appetite suppressant, it may be because for those who consume a traditional Western diet, the appeal is difficult to swallow.
However, if one considers that insects are packed with vitamins, minerals, fat and high-quality protein – not to mention they offer a sustainable food source – the case for their consumption becomes more persuasive. Crickets, for example, are a “complete protein” which means they contain all nine essential amino acids to build and repair protein tissues.
Furthermore, if we were to consume insects instead of CO2- and methane-producing livestock, the environmental damage being done by our current food system would be reduced significantly. Farming insects would require much less water, feed and space. According to the FAO, one-quarter of the Earth’s land mass is used for grazing and another one-third is used to grow animal feed. Crickets require 12x less feed than cattle and 50% less than pigs and broilers, to produce the same amount of protein. Also, insects have much shorter life cycles which means faster production.
According to a recent Global Market Insights report www.gminsights.com, the US and EU edible insect markets will both reach $80 million by 2024; and the Asia Pacific market will be $250 million by 2025. Meanwhile, work is underway to perfect a lab-grown version because it’s relatively easy to grow insect cells according to a report by research group, Faunalytics, www.faunalytics.org However, researchers say mass production of “lab bugs” is still years away.
Perspective
The Results Are In …
When Planet Friendly News became a partner in the “Covering Climate Now” (CCNow) initiative -- a global media collaboration initially aimed at raising the profile of the climate crisis ahead of the UN climate summit in New York in September -- about 180 news outlets had signed up. The collaboration, co-founded by The Nation and the Columbia Journalism Review -- together with lead partner, The Guardian --– continues, and now comprises almost 400 partners from major broadcasters like CBS, to national magazines, science journals, major newspapers, to small digital news outlets. But, is it working? Is it making a difference?
A recently released survey report on the week of concentrated coverage ahead of the UN summit would suggest it is. The data show how the CCNow collaboration changed climate crisis coverage -- from new multi-media packages, dedicated supplements, to an increase in the number of stories, and even the way newsrooms operate -- integrating climate coverage into the main news operation instead of being siloed.
Data highlights:
323 news outlets participated from 47 countries on six continents.
3,640 original stories were published or broadcast.
#CoveringClimateNow generated 69,623 tweets from 38,479 users for 1.93 billion impressions.
Reports of huge audience responses, and increased online traffic greatly exceeded expectations.
“September media attention to climate change and global warming was at its highest level globally in nearly a decade”.
— University of Colorado at Boulder’s Media and Climate Change Observatory.
“We were thrilled to see The Guardian’s climate crisis reporting amplified by CCNow partners around the world, from New Mexico to Nepal.”
— Jane Spencer, deputy editor, The Guardian, US.
It did work, it did make a measurable difference and CCNow is continuing -- sharing more stories, creating more partnerships and helping ensure the climate crisis stays atop the media’s agenda.
wildlife trade driving animal extinctions
A new study of the international wildlife trade says the number of animals involved is much higher than previous estimates.
The study, published in Science, says the trade for animals and animal parts e.g., skin, bone, and meat, is a multi-billion dollar business and impacts more than 2,000 birds and nearly 1,500 species of mammals (not including water-dwelling animals or invertebrates). The animals are sold as pets, or food or for traditional medicine and the trade is driving some species extinct.
Good news
Recently, New York became the world’s largest city to ban the sale of foie gras. The “delicacy” typically involves force feeding geese by inserting a long metal pipe down their throats several times a day to engorge their livers. Hailed as a victory by animal advocates, the law will be phased in and take full effect in three years.
In what could be a significant blow to the billion-dollar US fur industry, California has become the first state to ban the sale of fur starting in 2022. Residents cannot sell, or make clothing, shoes or handbags using fur (supplied by mink, chinchillas, rabbits and other animals). California also becomes the third state – after New Jersey and Hawaii – to bar most animals from circus performances. “California is a leader when it comes to animal welfare … We are making a statement to the world that beautiful wild animals like bears and tigers have no place on trapeze wires or jumping through flames,” stated Governor, Gavin Newsom.
And, still on fur, Queen Elizabeth II has decided to stop wearing it, according to her official dresser, Angela Kelly. The monarch has opted for faux fur starting this year.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is urging the USDA through a petition backed by experts and 12,000 signatures, to put breast cancer warnings on cheese. An example of the warning in the petition says: “Dairy cheese contains reproductive hormones that may increase breast cancer mortality risk.” Dairy contains estrogen from cows -- a hormone linked to increased breast cancer risk -- and when milk becomes cheese the estrogen is even more concentrated. www.pcrm.org
data points
Animal agriculture is the biggest cause of deforestation, according to author, Jonathan Safran Foer.
According to a new study from Faunalytics, eating plant-based is generally less resource-intensive than eating meat and one of the only ways to significantly reduce dietary-related resource consumption. And it’s not only nutritionally possible but highly desirable. www.faunalytics.org
The US currently leads the global green economy with 16% of it according to a new study published in the journal Palgrave Communications from University College, London. It accounts for 7% of US GDP and employs 4% of working age people. Other countries are expected to catch up. www.anthropocene.com
A recent study from Dupont Nutrition and Health found 52% of US consumers are eating more plant-based food and they believe it makes them feel healthier.
Beyond Meat is currently valued at $5B, about one-sixth the size of US food giant Tyson.
the deeper dive
Consumers Rather Than Cows Stampeding to Plant-Based Milk
challenge
The Better Diet/Better Planet report by experts at Oxford University and the University of Minnesota is the latest authoritative study showing that one of the most accessible ways to slow down global warming, address the climate crisis, and benefit the environment is to transition to a plant-based diet. But how do we undo years of tradition, habit and programming to change what we eat and drink to help reduce the carbon footprint of our food?
response
Starting the transition is as easy as what we add to our coffee or our next bowl of cereal. And consumers around the world are embracing the change. Plant milks are flying off supermarket shelves and cows might just be jumping over the moon.
A new study, the “Plant Milk Report” by ProVeg International based in Germany www.proveg.com mines the market data to show why “plant milk is the top selling product in the entire plant-based-alternatives sector.” (Our Nov 8 blog examines plant milk’s much smaller environmental foot print than dairy milk at https://www.planetfriendlynews.com/blog/plant-based-milk-leads-the-transition-from- animal-based-food). The report shows sales of plant milks are surging while the market for dairy products is declining worldwide. One in two people in the US and Europe consume plant milk on its own or in addition to cow’s milk and more than two-thirds of consumers in Asia Pacific and Latin America regularly use plant milk.
The report cites market research that consumers are avoiding cow’s milk for health and environmental reasons. Globally, 75% of the adult population is lactose intolerant and consumers want to reduce their intake of saturated fats, cholesterol and sugar. One-third of consumers in Asia Pacific do not like the taste of cow’s milk and those in the US and Latin America said environmental and animal welfare concerns were an important part of their decision to switch to plant milk.
Increased consumption of plant milk in global markets is also driven by taste and convenience, the cultural tradition of plant-based foods -- especially in Asia -- and the sustainable footprint of source ingredients such as soy, peanuts, oats, rice, almonds, coconuts and hemp. The report identifies barriers to the adoption of plant milk including higher taxation rates than for dairy products in some markets such as Germany, regulatory resistance to “plant milk” as a product label, and political pushback from the dairy industry seeking to protect its economic interests.
But most dairy milk is no longer produced by small farms and is dominated by large food companies with industrialized factory farm operations. Furthermore, government subsidies have encouraged overproduction, creating huge unsold surpluses and further depressing prices. The number of dairy farms in the last 30 years has declined by 75% in the US and 81% in the EU. Last month, Dean Foods, the largest US milk producer, filed for bankruptcy protection, citing reduced demand and growing consumer preference for non-dairy milk.
The report says that one of the factors that leads to the adoption of plant milks is their inclusion in national nutritional guidelines. The UN FAO says these guidelines are important because “as well as providing advice to citizens about healthy eating, they form the basis of food and agricultural policies.” And the guidelines are part of a UN global push to “improve sustainability of food systems at all levels from production to consumption.” Canada recently changed the Canada Food Guide to emphasize plant-based protein and plant milk. While dairy products are still part of the mix, it no longer recommends daily consumption of cow’s milk.
The huge success of plant milk shows that billions of consumers are getting on the plant milk train with the largest market growth potential in China. And being part of the global rise of plant milk is an easy way for individuals everywhere to reduce the carbon footprint of our food and another way each of us can contribute to the solution to the climate crisis.
Editor’s note: It’s almost a year since we started “Planet Friendly News” and our goal remains the same: to share information about our broken food system; animal welfare; and, the ongoing climate crisis. These three issues are connected when it comes to living sustainably, and they are still not receiving the coverage they deserve in mainstream media. However, this is starting to change. The media is producing more stories on the climate crisis and linking it to natural disasters, and there is growing public awareness and acceptance that everyone can and needs to make changes to live more sustainably. Providing information to help people make these choices remains our core mission. Onwards …