Eat red meat?

New research has shown that eating red meat isn’t bad for you. After three years of study, a group of 14 researchers in seven countries concluded that eating red meat doesn’t increase your risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer. The research included data on four million study participants. I have always maintained that eating red meat isn’t harmful and for years have been infuriated by the substitution of chicken and turkey for beef and pork in sausage and similar products.

I am newly convinced, however, that the planet would be better off without beef cattle. Here’s why:

• Agriculture consumes more fresh water than any other human activity, and nearly a third of that water is devoted to raising livestock.
• One third of the world’s arable land is used to grow feed for livestock.
• Livestock (mostly cattle) are responsible for 14.5 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions—a result of the methane they generate as a by-product of their digestive systems.  If cows were a country their emissions would be greater than all of the EU and behind only China and America.
• Every four pounds of beef you eat contributes to as much global warming as flying from New York to London.

One viable solution, besides becoming vegetarian or vegan (not an option in my house) is to eat plant-based fake beef—a relatively new product available in “ground beef” form (pictured to the left). Four companies are currently producing this product, at least one of which, I understand is much like the real thing. In fact, Burger King is selling fake meat burgers made by the Impossible Foods company. I understand you can buy the “beef” at the market. I’ll try it as soon as I can find it here in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  

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