Lettuce-nibbling veggies menace Mother Earth

Of course some of us use this on BLTs...

[tangor]

In most agreeable news for those of us who prefer wrapping our laughing gear round a solid bacon sarnie to nibbling a light salad, US boffins have concluded that switching to a vegetarian diet might actually increase "energy use, water use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions".

That's according to a team from Carnegie Mellon University, who cast a critical eye over the 2010 US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines "intended to help individuals achieve and maintain healthy weight".

Shockingly, the uni's Paul Fischbeck, Michelle Tom and Chris Hendrickson found that the USDA advice "to consume more fruits, vegetables, dairy and seafood is more harmful to the environment because those foods have relatively high resource uses and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per calorie".

[theregister.co.uk...]

If you are not a complete vegetarian and like a little of the B that is in a BLT, other bad news:

Bacon can kill
As predicted last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified processed meat as "carcinogenic to humans".

[theregister.co.uk...]

An earlier, not quite so dire conversation appears here: [webmasterworld.com...]

[LifeinAsia]

I haven't seen the actual study, but from the results, a few questions come to mind.

those foods have relatively high resource use

When they talk about resources used, are they forgetting to factor in the resourced used to grow the plants to feed the animals?

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per calorie

Plants emit oxygen, animals emit carbon dioxide. Sounds like they're comparing apples to oranges, er pigs.

Bacon can kill

Bacon doesn't kill people; people with bacon kill people. Or something like that.

[tangor]

Oddly enough, animals eat plants that humans either can't, or won't, eat. Those plants require little or new resources in that regard. Observation, not an argument.

As for bacon killing people.... perhaps in a skillet and too many other high cholesteral (which has also been debunked quite a bit in recent years), perhaps. Otherwise we'll be hearing headlines like:

"Wife Offs Hubby: 6 Rashers Daily"

On a less happy observation there are religions that go to war over porcine differences, and webmasterworld is not a place to discuss that.

Meanwhile, I'll have extra mayo, mustard and three jalapenos, seeds in, on my BLT, please.

[Old_Honky]

I would have thought that the increase in expelled intestinal gases resulting from a purely veggie diet alone would be enough to set the global warming industry into a downward spiral of despair. What with that and these thousands of cows breaking wind several times a day we seem to be doomed. Someone suggested that we make the cows wear a gas collection device but then when you eventually burn the resulting gas it releases more C02 into the atmosphere so it's a no-win situation. As opposed to a no-wind situation which would solve the problem.

As for Bacon is it the smoked variety that's carcinogenic?(The only bacon worth eating IMHO). Plain old pork seems to be relatively OK so perhaps the smoking process is the culprit? Has anyone tested Kippers, smoked salmon or smoked cheese? If you take any notice of all these reports you'll end up living on porridge and water.

[engine]

When I hear reports of these "we're doomed" stories I always remain cynical. I like to know who sponsored the report, and why.

Eating poison is bad - don't do it.
A balanced diet should keep you going.

"to consume more fruits, vegetables, dairy and seafood is more harmful to the environment because those foods have relatively high resource uses and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per calorie".

Food miles is one of the big issues, and although I haven't read the report, it's common sense that anything, vegetable, bacon, or otherwise, that is transported great distances in chilled containers is going to be bad for the environment. Additionally, it refers to per calorie: That's great, of course, because eating meat is probably far more calorific than eating a lettuce, but, humans require a balanced diet, of which most can be found in vegetables. It's not all about calories, although that is important measure to some people.

As I said, stick to a balanced diet, especially of non-processed food you'll be doing fine. If you can get your BLT from locally sourced supplies, you'll be helping the environment.

I agree, Old Honky, but i'd also add that I like porridge, and BLTs, but not at the same time. :)

[LifeinAsia]

Food miles is one of the big issues,

True- plus it's easier to raise your own lettuce than your own pigs. And when it comes time to actually harvest, probably more people are comfortable looking lettuce in they eye as they rip it from the ground instead of the pig's eyes as they...

[buckworks]

as they rip it from the ground

That's not the smart way to harvest lettuce. Instead, take one leaf from one plant, and work your way down the row. Each plant can produce new leaves all summer, and a small patch can provide fresh salad for the whole season. If you don't rip it out of the ground!

Ditto for other leafy veggies such as chard, beet greens, spinach and even onions.

I've never killed a pig, but I have killed chickens. It gives you more respect for the meat on your plate.

[engine]

Instead, take one leaf from one plant, and work your way down the row. Each plant can produce new leaves all summer, and a small patch can provide fresh salad for the whole season. If you don't rip it out of the ground!

yup, that works for me, too. i've been harvesting chard for months and months. The only time I rip it out of the ground is when it bolts and goes to seed. Even then, it goes back on the compost to rot down and feed the next generation of chard and lettuce.