Tag Archives: agriculture

‘Could we do with less ice?’: Scientific American touts climate-inspired ICE CUBE restrictions! Mag pushes end to ‘unsustainable’ ice cube practices & urges ‘Climate-friendly Cocktails’

From CLIMATE DEPOT

Climate Depot’s Marc Morano: “First, they came for your energy, then your meat, gas cars, dishwashers, gas stoves and furnaces, flights, pizzas & now…YOUR ICE CUBES! Stop the climate madness. Stop Net Zero goals. Stop food, ice, and meat restrictions. Stop gas-powered car bans. Stop pizza oven restrictions. The climate change agenda targets every aspect of your life and will take no prisoners in a relentless effort to Sovietize every aspect of American life. The USA was an aberration in human history when it came to individual rights and economic freedom. But the climate agenda is set to revert the USA back to the norms of history — submission to our overlords.” See Economist Milton Friedman in 1999: “Free societies of the kind we’ve been lucky enough to experience for the last 100, 150 years — are a very rare exception in human history. Most people, most of history…have lived in tyranny and misery.”

Scientific American:  ‘Climate-Friendly Cocktail Recipes Go Light on Ice – It takes a lot of water and energy to make negronis, manhattans and margaritas. Could we do with less ice?’ – By Amy Brady –  

Excerpt: “The protocol for properly made cocktails doesn’t look sustainable. Is it possible to make satisfying cocktails without so much ice? …  [Bars] might [use] be between 200 and 300 pounds (of ice) a night or far more. …  “The ice-making procedure in bars is crazy wasteful,” Arnold says….even a moderately busy bar requires a lot of ice to get through a night…It’s a process that requires a significant amount of water and energy. …

Most bars aren’t likely to give up ice altogether anytime soon. And cocktails aren’t unsustainable just because of all the ice and water they require; they also tend to rely on ingredients that are shipped from far away, such as lemons and limes and liquors from around the world. … Jennifer Colliau is a sustainability-focused “cocktail nerd” who designed a bar menu that used as little ice as possible at The Perennial, a restaurant in San Francisco that closed in 2019.

By: Marc Morano – Climate Depot

Robert W Malone MD, MS: “Who pays for a magazine like Scientific American to write and print an article suggesting that people should forgo ice as a lifestyle choice?”

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-friendly-cocktail-recipes-go-light-on-ice/

Climate-Friendly Cocktail Recipes Go Light on Ice – It takes a lot of water and energy to make negronis, manhattans and margaritas. Could we do with less ice?

By Amy Brady on July 1, 2023 

Excerpt: Today even a moderately busy bar requires a lot of ice to get through a night. Bartenders are advised never to use the same cube twice when going through the steps of making a single cocktail: chilling glassware, shaking or stirring, and serving the drink. It’s a process that requires a significant amount of water and energy. For years the hospitality industry has seen diners clamoring for foods that prioritize climate-friendly practices, such as local and seasonal ingredients that are grown or raised with carbon footprints in mind. Yet cocktail culture hasn’t been hit with the same scrutiny. As the American West experiences water scarcity and energy prices remain volatile, the protocol for properly made cocktails doesn’t look sustainable. Is it possible to make satisfying cocktails without so much ice? … 

How much ice does an average bar use? According to Todd Bell, senior energy analyst at energy-efficiency consulting group Frontier Energy, the amount “really depends on the operation.” It might be between 200 and 300 pounds a night or far more. … 

“The ice-making procedure in bars is crazy wasteful,” Arnold says. “It’s kind of just built into the way [bars] operate things.” Energy wasted from ice is largely because of in-house ice machines, which many—if not most—bars and restaurants use to maintain their steady ice supply. Ice machines run continually until they are full, potentially for several hours at a time. The machines vary widely in terms of the amount of energy they draw, however, depending on whether they are air- or water-cooled. … 

Most bars aren’t likely to give up ice altogether anytime soon. And cocktails aren’t unsustainable just because of all the ice and water they require; they also tend to rely on ingredients that are shipped from far away, such as lemons and limes and liquors from around the world. …

To mitigate its waste, Eve Bar forgoes an ice-making machine for 55-pound blocks of ice, which are delivered to the bar by a local ice company. Eve’s bartenders precut the block ice to “fit perfectly” in every type of glass used, he says, so that no ice gets wasted. … 

Jennifer Colliau is a sustainability-focused “cocktail nerd” who designed a bar menu that used as little ice as possible at The Perennial, a restaurant in San Francisco that closed in 2019. Colliau read about what Arnold has called the “science of shaking” and the “science of stirring” to devise ways to use less ice without affecting the taste and texture of cocktails.

‘Only one sausage per month for everyone!’ German Nutrition Society recommends over 90% reduction in daily meat eating– to combat global warming

From CLIMATE DEPOT

German daily newspaper Bild: Only one sausage per month for everyone!  – “Less meat consumption = better climate? The Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture has calculated that even halving meat consumption would bring Germany one percentage point closer to its climate goals.” … “No one wants to ban people from their occasional currywurst. But overall meat consumption in the population is too high for health and sustainability reasons, it’s a scientific fact“, indicates the DGE to the German newspaper.

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 The German Nutrition Society (DGE) now recommends reducing meat consumption to 10 grams per day per person to combat global warming. … A sudden and radical renunciation: The average meat consumption of Germans is 109 grams per day, or about 763 grams per week. The population will therefore have to drastically change its eating behavior if it agrees to comply with this new strategy.

2022: Germany cutting back meat production to fight ‘global warming’ – To reduce all livestock on German farms by 50%

Great Food Reset: Irish Gov’t Seeks to Sacrifice 200,000 Cows To Reach Net Zero Climate Goals – Kerry targets U.S. farmers Next!

By: Admin – Climate Depot

https://www-bild-de.translate.goog/politik/inland/politik-inland/ernaehrungsverband-will-weniger-fleischkonsum-nur-noch-eine-currywurst-im-monat-84075944.bild.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp&_x_tr_hist=true#fromWall

German daily newspaper Bild: Only one sausage per month for everyone!

The DGE is no longer just about health – But the DGE is no longer just concerned with health reasons! The background to the planned meat reform is something completely different: in the future, environmental factors such as “sustainability” will also be taken into account in the recommendations.

Less meat consumption = better climate? The Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture has calculated that even halving meat consumption would bring Germany one percentage point closer to its climate goals. Rather, the big chunk of CO2 emissions is the energy sector (including lignite-fired power plants).

︎ Heike Harstick, general manager of the meat association, is appalled. She tells BILD: “Even in Germany, many people are already undersupplied with certain nutrients, such as iron or vitamin B12. If the new nutritional recommendations presented by the DGE were to remain and such a drastic reduction in animal-based foods recommended, the deficiency would increase.” The planned reference values ​​are “in no way scientifically proven”.

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In general, the DGE emphasizes: “Nobody wants to forbid people to eat their currywurst occasionally. But overall meat consumption in the population is too high for health and sustainability reasons, that’s a scientific fact.”

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Only 10 grams of meat per day in Germany

According to a information reported by the German daily Bild, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) now recommends reducing meat consumption to 10 grams per day per person to combat global warming. A real earthquake in the land of currywurst.

On May 22, it was the Court of Auditors which suggested to the French, in a detailed report, to reduce their meat consumption to 500 grams per week.

A sudden and radical renunciation

The average meat consumption of Germans is 109 grams per day, or about 763 grams per week. The population will therefore have to drastically change its eating behavior if it agrees to comply with this new strategy. A previous recommendation from the same organization was less severe (600 grams of meat per week), so why such a reversal?

The German nutrition authority tells the daily Bild that it now takes into account factors other than just “health” to base its decisions on.

Cattle farming sacrificed on the altar of global warming

« No one wants to ban people from their occasional currywurst. But overall meat consumption in the population is too high for health and sustainability reasons, it’s a scientific fact“, indicates the DGE to the German newspaper.

From now on, environmental factors are also an integral part of the evaluation criteria of the nutrition agency. This means that it no longer confines itself to stating how much meat is healthy, or what kind of meat to avoid, it also takes into account the CO₂ balance of food.

Admittedly, the DGE only publishes recommendations. Just don’t follow them. Except that this body is also a certification body.

Not just a recommendation

Some activities depend directly on the approval of the DGE, this is particularly the case for school canteens. Indeed, it awards certificates to canteens. Those that do not have it are almost considered unhealthy. Will the nutrition authority continue to issue certifications to canteens that offer meat beyond the recommended quota?

Note that the directives of the DGE have been taken into account in the new nutritional strategy proposed by the German Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir. “The Pathway to the Federal Government’s Nutrition Strategy” was adopted by his cabinet in December 2022 and a plan is due to be approved by the end of the year.

Germany cutting back meat production to fight ‘global warming’ – To reduce all livestock on German farms by 50%

Farmers have been protesting the decision in the same way they recently did in the Netherlands this summer, but the initiative is moving forward beginning this year. Now, to the great surprise of nobody who has been paying attention, the German Meat Industry Association has reported that the country will be facing a severe meat shortage by the time spring arrives and consumers should expect prices to skyrocket, potentially doubling in some cases.

Let Them Eat Cake: Germany Plans To Make Eating Meat Expensive To ‘Protect The Climate’ – Hike Meat Tax

John Kerry targets farmers: ‘We can’t get to Net-Zero…unless agriculture is front & center as part of the solution’ – ‘I refuse to call it climate change anymore. It’s not change. It’s a crisis’

From CLIMATE DEPOT

Great Food Reset: John Kerry targets agriculture as part of climate crusade – Slashing farm emissions critical to fighting climate change, John Kerry says

Kerry: “We can’t get to net-zero, we don’t get this job done unless agriculture is front and center as part of the solution. So all of us understand here the depths of this mission.” … Kerry added that “lives depend” on world leaders and scientists developing the tools necessary to lower agriculture emissions. … I refuse to call it climate change anymore. It’s not change. It’s a crisis.”

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“Mitigating methane is the fastest way to reduce warming in the short term. Food and agriculture can contribute to a low-methane future by improving farmer productivity and resilience. We welcome agriculture ministers participating in the implementation of the Global Methane Pledge,” said John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.

By: Admin – Climate Depot

John Kerry targets agriculture as part of climate crusade

Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry warned Wednesday that the world can’t tackle climate change without first addressing the agriculture sector’s emissions.

Kerry lamented that agriculture production alone creates 33% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, arguing that reducing those emissions must be “front and center” in the quest to defeat global warming, during remarks Wednesday morning at the Department of Agriculture’s AIM for Climate Summit. The former secretary of state also touted so-called climate smart agriculture as a potential solution.

“A lot of people have no clue that agriculture contributes about 33% of all the emissions of the world,” he said during his keynote address. “We can’t get to net-zero, we don’t get this job done unless agriculture is front and center as part of the solution. So all of us understand here the depths of this mission.”

“Food systems themselves contribute a significant amount of emissions just in the way in which we do the things we’ve been doing,” he continued. “With a growing population on the planet – we just crossed the threshold of 8 billion fellow citizens around the world – emissions from the food system alone are projected to cause another half a degree of warming by mid-century.”

Kerry added that “lives depend” on world leaders and scientists developing the tools necessary to lower agriculture emissions.

Overall, the global food system – which includes land-use change, actual agricultural production, packaging and waste management – generates about 18 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent of 34% of total worldwide emissions, according to a March 2021 study published in the Nature Food journal.

In the U.S., though, agriculture alone generates about 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions, federal data showed.

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“This sector needs innovation now more than ever,” Kerry continued Wednesday. “We’re facing record malnutrition at a time when agriculture, more than any other sector, is suffering from the impacts of the climate crisis. And I refuse to call it climate change anymore. It’s not change. It’s a crisis.”

“We need economic, social and policy innovation in order to scale adaptation of these technical solutions and get them into the hands of folks in the fields of small farmers on a worldwide basis. This is the promise of AIM for Climate Summit.”

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Slashing farm emissions critical to fighting climate change, John Kerry says

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Reuters) – Cutting greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production is essential to the global fight against climate change, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said on Wednesday.

Agriculture generates 10% to 12% of greenhouse gas emissions globally, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The food system as a whole – including packaging, transportation, and waste management – generates a third of global emissions, according to a 2021 study published in the academic journal Nature Food.

“We can’t get to net zero, we don’t get this job done, unless agriculture is front and center as part of the solution,” Kerry, the special presidential envoy for climate, said at the AIM for Climate summit in Washington.

He said that without cutting agricultural emissions, the world may not reach its goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius – which scientists say must be achieved to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

President Joe Biden has pledged the U.S. will reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Rising global temperatures have severe implications for malnutrition and food security worldwide, Kerry said.

“A 2-degree future could result in another 600 million people not getting enough to eat,” said the former U.S. secretary of state. “You can’t continue to warm the planet while also expecting to feed it.”

AIM for Climate is a global initiative, co-led by the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates, to drive investment in farming practices that cut the sector’s emissions.

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Major Livestock Producing Countries Commit to Mitigate Methane in Agriculture

Santiago, Chile – Today, the Global Methane Hub announced that agriculture and environment ministers and ambassadors from 13 countries, including the United States, have issued a commitment to reduce methane emissions in agriculture. Last month, the Global Methane Hub collaborated with the Ministries of Agriculture of Chile and Spain to convene the first-ever global ministerial on agricultural practices to reduce methane emissions.

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“Mitigating methane is the fastest way to reduce warming in the short term. Food and agriculture can contribute to a low-methane future by improving farmer productivity and resilience. We welcome agriculture ministers participating in the implementation of the Global Methane Pledge,” said John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.

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Related: 

Daily Mail: ‘Leave us alone to do what we do best’: Fury at UK plan to hand millions to farmers to turn 741,000 acres of land into nature reserves pushed by ‘rewilding cult’

  • George Eustice launches £2.4billion-a-year plan replacing EU’s £2.4bn common agricultural policy 
  • Farmers and landowners will be paid for planting trees and restoring wetlands in 15 new nature reserves 
  • The ‘landscape recovery scheme’ will eventually cost the taxpayer £800million a year from 2028  
  • But there are concerns about risk to food security and policy will benefit Britain’s richest landowners 
  • Farmers say Boris Johnson’s ‘mad’ obsession with rewilding will drive smaller farmers out of business 
  • Ministers claim plans will turn 741,000 acres into wildlife habitats in 20 years and will not risk food supply 

Lomborg: ‘Organic agriculture’ could optimistically support 4.7 billion people – ‘Industrial agriculture’ could optimistically support 12 billion – Current global population is 8 billion

From Climate Depot

By: Admin – Climate Depot

Waste Not, Want Not, Still True About Food

From Science Matters

By Ron Clutz

FILE – Dairy cows graze on a farm near Oxford, New Zealand, on Oct. 8, 2018. New Zealand scientists are coming up with some surprising solutions for how to reduce methane emissions from farm animals. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)

Jack Hubbard reports at Real Clear Markets Eat What You Want While Questioning ‘Food Sustainability’ Claims.  Excerpts in italics with my bolds and added images.

Earth Day started 50 years ago, and if you judge the event by society’s environmental conscientiousness, it’s been a success. Today, people are increasingly considering the environmental impact of products they buy. That’s true not just of cars and clothing, but also what we eat.

A survey last year found that 37% of consumers look for sustainability claims on food. Food marketers have taken note, increasing the number of food products with eco claims.

But buyers should beware: Not all food sustainability claims are true.

Where is the Beef?

Perhaps the single most common claim you’ll hear today about food is that meat is bad for the environment. Ads for plant-based fake meat commonly assert this. These claims are parroted by animal rights activists who–naturally–don’t like people eating meat. You can even find a few documentaries that try to paint meat as eco-unfriendly.

But is eating meat actually bad for the environment? No.

A frequently cited statistic is that 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions are from animal agriculture. But what you may not know is that this figure doesn’t apply to the US, where we have the most advanced modern agricultural technology in the world.

American agriculture has become economically and environmentally more efficient over time. For instance, we need 60% fewer cows yet produce twice as much milk as we did in the 1930s.

The EPA tracks greenhouse gas emissions and reports them by sector. According to the EPA, all of our agriculture only accounts for about 9% of total US greenhouse gas emissions, while animal agriculture accounts for only about 4%. That’s why researchers estimate that if the entire U.S. population went vegan tomorrow, it would only reduce greenhouse gas emissions by less than 3%. That also means, as an individual, giving up meat will have zero impact on curbing climate change.

Fake Meat Doesn’t Lower Emissions

It turns out that producing plant-based fake meats actually produces the same amount of emissions as producing chicken. And cell-cultured meat–that is, grown from cells in a lab setting–has five times the emissions of regular chicken.

Why? Because while making fake meat may use less land than raising chickens, it uses much more electricity to power all those factories that make fake meat.

“Organic” Feels Good

“Organic” is another term that many consumers look for, thinking organic food is better for the environment and their health. Once again, reality is different from perception.

A recent study of organic vs. modern agriculture on different factors such as land use, climate, over-fertilization, and energy use. Modern farming was superior on land use while organic farming was better on chemicals. Overall, the two compared equally on most factors.

(Most consumers also believe that organic food is more nutritious. But once again, scientific research has found there’s no real difference.)

Food Waste Is Important

The biggest environmental impact associated with food isn’t about the food we eat. It is actually about food we don’t eat.

The USDA estimates that up to one-third of food produced in the country is thrown away. Whether that’s meat or fake meat, or organic produce or non-organic produce, that food took resources to grow and fuel to transport. And all of those resources go to waste when you don’t finish your meal or throw out the leftovers.

What’s the lesson?

Eat what you want and ignore the marketing claims. In the big picture,
anyone’s diet has a small footprint. But whatever you choose to eat,
make sure you don’t let it go to waste.