Eat more offal, help the environment

Germans consume twice as much meat as the world average. It is therefore not surprising that a study has looked at how Germany could reduce carbon emissions from its meat consumption and agricultural sector. The new study, published in Environmental Science and Technology Carbon Brief explains in detail how the country – and potentially other meat-consuming companies – could improve its efficiency and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions generated by its meat supply chain. Most emissions from meat production occur as methane, which cows breathe and excrete through their manure.

The best way to reduce the emissions generated by the meat industry is, of course, to consume less; if the Germans ate half as much meat, they would cut meat production by 32% (comparing 2016 levels to the 2050 theoretical levels). Not surprising. Although many people are reluctant to reduce their consumption of meat, even meatless Mondays, let alone halve them. The study produces another suggestion, perhaps more acceptable: to change the type of meat consumed.

It would not be as beneficial as giving up the meat altogether, but substituting other offal (internal organs of the animal generally neglected by consumers) with other pieces of meat could reduce emissions from the meat industry. German meat by 14%. This is based on ambitious badumptions: the Germans would have to replace offal twice a week. Typical offal dishes include tripe (cow's stomach), liver, beef tongue, sweetbreads (thymus of cows or calves) and veal cheeks. Some of these parts of animals are considered standard dishes in some localities, but are less consumed in Germany and the United States for that matter. The study explains how increased consumption of offal would reduce greenhouse gas emissions: if consumers traded regular cuts of meat for offal, there would theoretically be fewer livestock and slaughter.

So you are not ready to eat sweetbreads twice a week. The study also shows that the exchange of poultry or pork for beef could reduce emissions because raising pigs and poultry produces less methane than livestock breeding. If the Germans substituted this meat for beef a quarter of the time, they would reduce emissions by 7%. So, to recap: The best behavior to reduce emissions from the meat industry is to eat less meat; the second solution is to replace the offal; The third choice is to replace pork or poultry.

What we have not noticed is that livestock represents only 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, energy production accounts for one-quarter of all global greenhouse gas emissions, while industry catch-all is 21 percent and transportation is 14 percent. %. In my opinion, we should all do what we can reasonably do to make personal choices that are respectful of the environment. But our actions are just a drop in the bucket compared to the power of energy companies, petrochemical companies and multinational mega-organizations. For example, only 100 companies generate 71% of the world's gas emissions.

If you want to get involved in corporate responsibility for individual responsibility for emissions – always a light topic for an unusual dinner – this Vox Interviews with Richard Heede, co-founder and co-director of the Climate Accountability Institute, provide some food for thought. Heede explained, "Let's be clear, it is the consumers who burn and claim the fossil fuels that these companies provide. What companies produce is producing, extracting and marketing fossil fuels. fuels, so that we can use them. It's something to chew on. That, or sweetbreads.