Plant based diets (split from Covid 19)

[JoshW]

OK but if we're going down the road of hanging our heads in shame then how many of us fly around the world on caving expeditions? It's a slippery slope...

There seems to be a fair amount of virtue signalling in this thread.

Just do your best and don't stress.

I don't think there's been much virtue signalling at all. Just people presenting facts!

Agreed though, do your best wherever you can!

 

[Pitlamp]

I think the important thing is to have at least a basic grasp of the facts, live life as intelligently as practicable and don't necessarily jump on bandwagons without at least some understanding of their implications.

 

[Roger W]

Sid says you can recycle, if you like roast pork...

 

[alastairgott]

Judi, I did throw in the greenhouses on top, but it seems that greenhouses which are run with added Co2 actually enhance plant growth. So setting up a dual purpose Mycoprotein and greenhouse site, you would be able to see gains from the Co2 emitted by growing the green house plants in the Co2 rich environment.


and if there were any heat gains in the fermentation process, which seems likely, then this would also improve greenhouse performance. especially during marginal points of the year (thinking Spring and Autumn).

https://fifthseasongardening.com/regulating-carbon-dioxide
http://www.davidmoore.org.uk/21st_Century_Guidebook_to_Fungi_PLATINUM/Ch17_18.htm

 

[darren]

The numbers seem to make it pretty clear how significant transportation is for the environmental impact of the food we eat. Although no numbers are certain, I think those published in Science are probably about as good as we can get.

The Lamb and mutton above is an interesting example of how initial assumptions can change final results. Bearing in mind my example was for lamb reared on marginal land with minimal input. They are left to lamb in fields and most but not all survive. Very low inputs

The green part is debatable as deforestation happened hundreds/ thousands of years ago.
The brown part is for fertiliser and manure which are not used. Farm machinery use is also minimal.
Orange is for animal feed which is non existent.

Take these out and you are left with emissions of around 3. The same as ground nut.

It is also interesting that grassland is assumed to have an impact on global warming due to deforestation/ soil structure change but peas dont.

Like I said it all depends on your initial assumptions.

Don't get me started on food miles. What is a food mile? The way people carry on you'd think transporting 100kg of apples in an old landrover that does 20 mpg is more environmentally friendly than transporting 30,000kg of apples in a lorry that does 5mpg. If my maths is correct the landrover uses 75 times more fuel per kg mile than the lorry.