Originally published at: GREEN NEW MEAL: UN Scientists Say ‘Rich Countries’ Should ‘Eat Less Meat’ to Protect Environment | Sean Hannity
A team of scientists from the United Nations urged residents in “rich countries” to eat less meat; saying transitioning towards a vegetarian diet would help combat climate change across the planet.
“Efforts to curb greenhouse gas-emissions and the impacts of global warming will fall significantly short without drastic changes in global land use, agriculture and human diets, leading researchers warn in a high-level report commissioned by the United Nations,” reports Nature.com.
“The special report on climate and land by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) describes plant-based diets as a major opportunity for mitigating and adapting to climate change ― and includes a policy recommendation to reduce meat consumption,” adds the website.
“We don’t want to tell people what to eat,” said a scientist behind the report. “But it would indeed be beneficial, for both climate and human health, if people in many rich countries consumed less meat, and if politics would create appropriate incentives to that effect.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a similar directive months ago; requiring all city-owned facilities to “reduce red meat” consumption by 50%.
“New York City is strengthening its climate leadership by acknowledging the importance of slashing consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions associated with factory farmed meat. Eliminating processed meat and cutting red meat purchases will pay dividends for the health of future generations and the planet,” said Friends of the Earth program manager Chloe Waterman.
“We applaud Mayor de Blasio, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, and all of the advocates who made today’s announcement possible. We hope other cities will soon follow suit,” she added.
De Blasio’s commitment comes just days after he promised to ban “classic” steel and glass skyscraper construction throughout New York City.
Read the full report here.
