A Beef With The Beef Industry (And Other Food Industries)

Recently the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) has called on America to reduce its meat consumption as part of the UN’s plan on combating climate change.  The organization stated that both the meat and the dairy industry contribute much to climate change by saying they contribute a significant amount of carbon emissions.  Such claims were echoed by White House Climate Envoy John Kerry.

In response to such claims, House Agricultural Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson, R-PA, said regulating food producers to where they go out of business will be ineffective in dealing with climate change.

Needless to say, I don’t think too many Americans are going to give up eating meat and dairy in order to save the planet.  In addition, shutting down the meat and dairy industries will most likely result in mass starvation, as well as malnutrition.  But then again, most environmentalists are okay with people dying since they believe the fewer people on the planet, the better for the planet.

As for climate change (formally known as global warming), I should point out the following:

• Environmentalists blame America for climate change (and other threats to the environment for that matter), and thus America is the target of environmental measures.
• The Earth has often been hotter in past centuries.
• Mankind has had little impact on the climate (including greenhouse gases).
• Climate fluctuates regardless of human activity (and carbon dioxide).
• Solar activity is the main cause of climate change.
• Carbon Dioxide is a benign substance, essential to plant life.
• Most Greenhouse gases are not manmade.
• The Polar Regions have expanded and gotten colder.
• The recording of the Earth’s surface temperatures started in 1861.
• From 1910-1940, there was a warming period, and a cooling period from 1940-1975 (despite the high use of fossil fuels). From 1975 to the late 1990s/2000s:  warming period, followed by a cooling period.
• There has been only slight increase in the Earth’s temperature and the sea levels.
• Closing of temperature measuring stations in cold regions (e.g. the former Soviet Union) and urban heat island effect have resulted in higher temperatures.
• Satellite measurements of atmospheric temperatures (which disagree with global surface temperatures) have only shown a slight increase during the past few decades.
• Kyoto & similar policies will result in increased energy costs, more government control, economic decline, and less freedom (e.g. carbon taxes, energy rationing).
• Climate change has no impact on the poor; more developed countries have better infrastructure, institutions, and energy sources which allows them to handle the ever-changing climate; thus, warmer is better.

Thus, the meat and dairy industries are not to blame.  Nor anyone else for that matter.

Apparently, the people at the UN don’t practice what they preach, since the participants gorged themselves on gourmet burgers and barbecue.

Meanwhile, one has to wonder how the meat and dairy industries will respond to the drastic measures being advocated by the UN.  Because such measures need to be stopped.

In the meantime, feel free to eat a cheeseburger.  Or perhaps a ham & cheese sandwich.  Or maybe a grilled Reuben.  Or a chicken cordon bleu.  Or how about a turkey club?  Or maybe you could have a pizza with meat toppings.