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The resistance on reducing meat consumption

Amnixia

Amnixia

▲ Legend ▲
The Fallen
Jan 25, 2018
10,446
I'm not gonna lie, I'm vegan, but with the recent report on climate change and the call for cutting meat consumption by 30%: why is there so much resistance on this?

If I can scrap use of animal products by 100% then surely others can cut their meat consumption by 30%?

A friend of mine just said "I don't want to" and this attitude frustrates me endlessly.

Are people really that selfish?

Edit:

Because some people decided to change the subject from "is cutting meat consumption by 30% that much to ask" to "lol the weekly vegan thread"...

I am not shaming you for eating meat.

The question is why do you feel OK with putting results onto future generations because you can't be arsed cutting the consumption of it by 30%.
 
Last edited:
loquaciousJenny

loquaciousJenny

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,457
Yes

people here complain about beans and rice in their burritos instead of being blocks of meat in a tortilla
 
Mugsy

Mugsy

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,260
One point is the difference between choosing for yourself and being told to by someone else. People react badly to being told to do something even if it is something minor.
 
PlanetSmasher

PlanetSmasher

The Abominable Showman
Member
Oct 25, 2017
116,217
When they make meat substitutes that taste as good as steak and have a similar consistency to it, I'll consider it. That has yet to happen.
 

Deleted member 39374

Banned
Feb 1, 2018
5,083
People have been eating meat for thousands of years, cooking meat was literally like one of the "inventions" that moved humanity forward from cavemen, it's a crazy ingrained tradition that spans like every fucking culture on the planet and it will be a long, long time before people stop doing it.

Solution: make faux-meat from insect protein and have it taste and feel just like the real thing. Or synthetic ingredients from the lab. Make it cheaper than the real thing so developing countries (those most likely to be affected by climate change, surprise surprise) will switch over to it.

In the future real meat will be a luxury item
 
signal

signal

Member
Oct 28, 2017
40,252
I haven't seen people react that badly to suggestions they should at least try to reduce meat consumption. Push back is expected by the average person for anything beyond that but a simple reduction a couple of times a week doesn't seem to be met with that much pro-bacon memery.
 
Dyle

Dyle

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
30,035
Because people don't like being told what to do, feed them with the alternatives first and make it about choosing to eat something different rather than having to give something up. Too often it's all stick and no carrot
 
Piecake

Piecake

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,298
Just tell people to stop eating beef or eat a whole lot less of it.

You'll likely get more converts that way than simply telling people to eat meals with no meat for 30% of the time.
 
RobotHaus

RobotHaus

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,968
Mars University
I don't get it either. I mean yeah, people are very selfish, but it's super easy to cut all meat from a diet. All those spices and variety of ways that people make meat can be applied to so many other non meat foods.
 
chrisPjelly

chrisPjelly

Avenger
Oct 29, 2017
10,510
Beef just tastes too good. I'd totally be down for lab meat if it becomes affordable and widespread.
 
Conciliator

Conciliator

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,148
It's gonna be tough but I'm seriously considering cutting out beef for a couple months and see how that works for me. (My understanding is that beef is the biggest contributor by far to emissions vs. other meats) I can live without steak but I do love a good cheeseburger. Maybe we could make like a "give up beef for a month" thread or something
 
supremeplatypus

supremeplatypus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,892
London
Make lab grown meat or whatever that tastes EXACTLY as good as the real thing then I'll switch. Until that day comes, nope I'll stick with meat.
 
Distantmantra

Distantmantra

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,246
Seattle
I have a friend who apparently is bothered if they don't have meat with every meal. My wife and I eat vegetarian/vegan at least three times a week, but I'd be hard pressed to give up meat (mostly chicken/pork, ground beef and salmon sometimes) entirely.
 
Douche McBaggins The 4th

Douche McBaggins The 4th

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,555
Make it look the same as real meat, and have the same protein and same or less calories and I'm on board. I had bariatric surgery and I can't eat big protein sources like beans like I used to. Granted, one pound of meat is now multiple meals for me.
 
RainerDrix

RainerDrix

Member
Oct 25, 2017
339
Long Island, NY
Conciliator said:
It's gonna be tough but I'm seriously considering cutting out beef for a couple months and see how that works for me. (My understanding is that beef is the biggest contributor by far to emissions vs. other meats) I can live without steak but I do love a good cheeseburger. Maybe we could make like a "give up beef for a month" thread or something
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

You should try an Impossible burger
 
jph139

jph139

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,422
Because people are, as a rule, stupid and selfish. They think "but this is important to me," and that outweighs everything else.

Eventually people will adjust. It just takes time, money, and a good PR campaign. But I'm sure the same stubborn people will be 90 years old whining about how their lab-burger just isn't the same as the cow ones.
 
Freezasaurus

Freezasaurus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
57,066
Fake news. Vegan propaganda.

I'm kidding, but I have no intention of cutting my meat consumption. I limit my red meat consumption because of various reasons, so most of the time it's chicken/turkey that I eat when I choose to consume meat products.
 
Hypron

Hypron

Member
Oct 27, 2017
4,059
NZ
Comparing the general tone of the replies in threads like this one vs threads about climate change on this forum is always fun.
 

Conmex

Banned
May 19, 2018
416
jph139 said:
Because people are, as a rule, stupid and selfish. They think "but this is important to me," and that outweighs everything else.

Eventually people will adjust. It just takes time, money, and a good PR campaign. But I'm sure the same stubborn people will be 90 years old whining about how their lab-burger just isn't the same as the cow ones.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
if anyone adjusts, its vegans, not meat eaters. they love to be all high and mighty while theyre avoiding meat, but guess what? the vast majority will be ex vegans at some point.
 
J2d

J2d

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,140
It used to annoy me but as long as those who do don't act like they give a shit about the world I'm surprisingly fine with it.
 
WascallyWabbit

WascallyWabbit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,500
We cut meat out of our diets during the weekdays, hasn't really been that tough and frankly we're a lot healthier now. If only more people would do this.
 
MilkBeard

MilkBeard

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,785
I think beef consumption should be reduced, as it seems to be the worst, and it's also one of the less healthy meats to begin with.

I'm never cutting chicken or eggs out of my diet though. Love me some chicken. That said, I can do with eating more veggies/relying less on meat on a weekly basis.
 
Budi

Budi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,888
Finland
I hear your request and I'll try to reduce my meat consumption. Or atleast support local products rather than imports, in other than meat too. I also buy a lot of used/recycled stuff rather than new. In example phones, no reason to buy new when there's so many working phones out there. I don't own a car, I walk or use public transport. There's plenty of things people can do to help, not just meat. But somehow meat consumption is always a hot topic, nothing much else. Stores shouldn't be throwing out so much excesse food that's still edible. People overall shouldn't throw out food, but also eat their leftovers.

What really beats me why people get so pissy about the suggestion of having less offspring. Definitely someone reducing their meat consumption helps less than someone not existing at all.
 
Mochi

Mochi

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,706
Seattle
It is not easy for anyone to give up their customs and habits. Meat has been a part of human life for millions of years.

We have to give it up, but I think this will need to be done through laws and governance. Educating people is important, but it will never go far enough.

Hopefully improved alternative meats and lab grown meat will make the transition easier and faster.
 
LegendofLex

LegendofLex

Member
Nov 20, 2017
5,492
Idolvo said:
I'm not gonna lie, I'm vegan, but with the recent report on climate change and the call for cutting meat consumption by 30%: why is there so much resistance on this?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

You're asking people to make a significant change to the way they think about something they've been doing every day, multiple times a day, for their whole lives. This isn't as intuitive as just switching from one type of product to another type of product to reduce your carbon footprint; there is no obvious 1:1 substitute for meat, and no way to invisibly switch people to a cleaner food source like you can with energy.
 
Tito

Tito

Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,030
Is it from the same research that discarded nuclear power as a solution?

Because producing power in a nuclear plant is thousands of times less polluting than petrol, gas or carbon plants we currently have, and a realistic solution.
 
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