Many people have been out on the streets protesting that
governments should do something about climate change, but there are also many
things that we can do as individuals to reduce the threat of global warming.
One of these is being careful about what we eat. A short while ago, the Intergovernmental
Panel for Climate Change produced a report suggesting that the current food
choices of mankind collectively are adding to the process of global warming and
climate change. It is excellent that there is a body looking at the climate
change process from a global perspective, given that we have not yet evolved
global institutions, and that we do not yet function as one, united, mankind.
Bahá’u’lláh urged us: “Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined
to your own self.” Luckily, the International Panel for Climate Change has that
world-embracing vision, and is urging action now, because now is the time when
we need to act to avoid the worst effects of global warming. As Bahá’u’lláh said:
“Every age hath its own problem... Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the
age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.”
This is so necessary.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (I.P.C.C.), a general change in the diet of mankind towards eating less meat is part of the remedy the world needs. Why should this be? Comparing plant consumption with meat consumption, producing meat uses up more land than does plant production, as the animals need a lot of land to produce enough food for them, both fresh pasture and winter feed. In the Amazon, for instance, forest areas are being cut down or burned down to provide pasture and also to grow winter feed for animals in other parts of the world. Another consideration is the amount of methane produced by the unnaturally large quantities of cattle and other animals, as a by-product of our own food choices. So we have more large animals producing more methane and breathing out carbon dioxide, at the same time as we have more trees being destroyed which should be absorbing these chemicals.
The I.P.C.C. observes that, for most people, any reduction in the amount of meat which they eat will probably also result in health benefits. Millions of people consume more protein than necessary, indeed they eat more food than is necessary. Millions of us are labelled as “overweight”, or even “obese”. A better diet, with more fruit and vegetables, should prevent so many people developing diabetes, heart conditions and so on.
Does this all mean that we should be evolving toward vegetarianism – or even veganism? The I.P.C.C. stops short of advocating this. But from a Bahá’í point of view, this is the direction which the world should be taking anyway. It states in the Bahá’í Writings that: “The food of the future will be fruit and grains. The time will come when meat will no longer be eaten… our natural food is that which grows out of the ground. The people will gradually develop up to the condition of this natural food.” Note that the Bahá’í teachings expect this to be a process, and do not demand that people reject meat instantly. The I.P.C.C. observes that some people, for medical reasons, would find an immediate transfer to a vegetarian diet difficult. Bahá’u’lláh’s Son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, made the same point, and said that people who are weak could eat meat. There is the additional point that people living in very harsh environments, such as deep snow, deserts, high mountain ranges and tiny islands, cannot produce enough plant-based food to survive, and cannot make this change yet.
On the other hand, there are some societies which do not eat meat, and the people living in them are more aware of what foods are required to provide them with enough protein and traces of necessary minerals. Likewise there are many individual vegetarians and vegans who have the same knowledge.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (I.P.C.C.), a general change in the diet of mankind towards eating less meat is part of the remedy the world needs. Why should this be? Comparing plant consumption with meat consumption, producing meat uses up more land than does plant production, as the animals need a lot of land to produce enough food for them, both fresh pasture and winter feed. In the Amazon, for instance, forest areas are being cut down or burned down to provide pasture and also to grow winter feed for animals in other parts of the world. Another consideration is the amount of methane produced by the unnaturally large quantities of cattle and other animals, as a by-product of our own food choices. So we have more large animals producing more methane and breathing out carbon dioxide, at the same time as we have more trees being destroyed which should be absorbing these chemicals.
The I.P.C.C. observes that, for most people, any reduction in the amount of meat which they eat will probably also result in health benefits. Millions of people consume more protein than necessary, indeed they eat more food than is necessary. Millions of us are labelled as “overweight”, or even “obese”. A better diet, with more fruit and vegetables, should prevent so many people developing diabetes, heart conditions and so on.
Does this all mean that we should be evolving toward vegetarianism – or even veganism? The I.P.C.C. stops short of advocating this. But from a Bahá’í point of view, this is the direction which the world should be taking anyway. It states in the Bahá’í Writings that: “The food of the future will be fruit and grains. The time will come when meat will no longer be eaten… our natural food is that which grows out of the ground. The people will gradually develop up to the condition of this natural food.” Note that the Bahá’í teachings expect this to be a process, and do not demand that people reject meat instantly. The I.P.C.C. observes that some people, for medical reasons, would find an immediate transfer to a vegetarian diet difficult. Bahá’u’lláh’s Son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, made the same point, and said that people who are weak could eat meat. There is the additional point that people living in very harsh environments, such as deep snow, deserts, high mountain ranges and tiny islands, cannot produce enough plant-based food to survive, and cannot make this change yet.
On the other hand, there are some societies which do not eat meat, and the people living in them are more aware of what foods are required to provide them with enough protein and traces of necessary minerals. Likewise there are many individual vegetarians and vegans who have the same knowledge.
So – what is a balanced diet? People will be able to improve on my suggestions, as I have no expertise in this field whatsoever! My understanding is that we need carbohydrates, ideally grains such as wheat, rice, millet or oats. Fruit – there is a huge choice! We need vegetables, which seems to mean any edible plant parts except the seed or fruit – so edible leaves, stems, roots, etc. And we need some protein. Many of us tend to get this from meat, but we can obtain it from cheese, nuts, or from pulses, such as peas, beans or lentils. Crucial to this seems to be variety. I had a friend who was told by somebody to eat grapes: grapes were good for you. So he ate grapes – for breakfast, lunch and tea, as far as I could make out. After some weeks, his body reacted violently against this, and he became allergic to grapes, with very unfortunate results. The I.P.C.C. considers that we should eat a balanced diet, with rather less meat, and using our common sense, we should become healthier – as will the planet!
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P.S. I haven’t mentioned food miles, or the many other things that we can each do to reduce our carbon footprint, but I didn't want the post to be too long!
For a complete contrast, perhaps you would like to read "The Winter Solstice" (December, 2015). My wife wrote this one, looking back at the past, rather than looking directly at the needs of the future.
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