Climate Change/Mass Extinction Megathread

[Valmy]

Ah I thought he was talking about the current slate of beyond meat type stuff.

[HVC]

i think beyond the price aspect is that the lab meat has a weird texture, never having actually been used as muscle.

[viper37]

Sure, but those issues can be managed.  Ultimately, people have to eat something, so which is less harmful? 

It's not an "or" question.

You need red meat for B12 vitamin, or you need supplement, prepared from animal meat.  Or some weird vegan processed shit that we don't know exactly what goes in it.

We need omega 3 from fish. Salmon and trout are a good source, but I guess other big fishes are good too.  Well, not sharks.  Well, I mean, they could be good, but due to the Chinese love for shark soup, they're getting slaughtered to the point of extinction out there, and we have yet to grow them like cows or pigs.

That we collectively eat too much meat, especially red meat is a fact.  Way too many burgers&fried chicken.  Which is different from eating a decent piece of steak on Saturdays.  Or a chicken kebab on Sunday.  This still does not mean we should all become vegan to save the planet.  We'll produce less CO2, but we will create other problems for the environment.  Grumbler alluded to soy being "good" because it does not require fertilizers as much as other cultures, but that's only partly true.  You don't need much fertilizer for the first year, but the needs will increase dramatically after the first year as the nutrients of the soil are absorbed by the culture.  Since we're all eating vegetal stuff now, we'll then have to rely on chemical fertilizers instead of animal dejections.  Which creates other problems...

In itself, soy is just as bad for the overall environment as meat production is.  They are just different kind of impacts. Deforesting to grow cattle or deforesting to grow soy is the same thing, ultimately.

The ideal diet (environmentally speaking) is, IIRC, 2/3-3/4 vegetarian (meaning, you can eat some eggs&fish, unlike vegan), might also be a tad more, I don't really have the flame to go look it out precisely.

Just like all heavily-processed foods.  Honestly, I don't think that the health nuts who are super conscious of what they eat are the market for that product. 

I don't know who the target is for that product.  I kinda think it's not their usual customers though, and they are trying to broaden their range/avoid losing younger customers, maybe.  I doubt die hard meat burger fans will suddenly switch to Beyond Meat Burger King, or some fake grilled "vegetal chicken" when KFC comes up with it.  It's more for for the young & environmentally naive who truly think they are saving the planet by inducing themselves with a heart attack, instead of destroying it by inducing themselves a heart attack.

[Eddie Teach]

When did chicken become red meat?

[Malthus]

i think beyond the price aspect is that the lab meat has a weird texture, never having actually been used as muscle.

I guess science will have to come up with a mindless organism that just runs on a treadmill all day, without respite.

Problem is that I worry science already has come up with such a creature, and it is me. 😄

[grumbler]

When did chicken become red meat?

Don't interrupt him; he's on a roll.

[viper37]

When did chicken become red meat?

Did I say it was?  My bad if I did, I didn't want to imply it.  I just said that some vegan alternative to fried chicken might exist in the future, the way Beyondmeat&co immitate the taste of beef.

[Sheilbh]

I mean it does - the vegan alternatives to meaty dishes are out there and they're really very good - chicken, beef, doner (the three genders).

I go vegan for lent every year and, every year, I tell myself I'll get really into creatively cooking veg and then, instead, just veg out with vegan takeaways and meat substitutes (which is weird because I never cook normal burgers at home) - and they're great. Ten years ago if you wanted something indulgent you had to go to a specialist restaurant or just eat a lot of falafel, so it's a good thing.

And some things like milk and mayo I've moved fully vegan all the time because I prefer it.

The problem I have with the lab grown meat stuff is, so far, they are good at basically the processed meat/fast food world. They've not managed to do fish which I cook a lot of, or the sort of shitty cheap cuts that make a great curry or stew (where is my lab-grown shin!)

[viper37]

I mean it does - the vegan alternatives to meaty dishes are out there and they're really very good - chicken, beef, doner (the three genders).

As you can see, I am quite detached from this world
I did not know there were vegan alternatives for chicken.
But more importantly: is there a vegan alternative for Kentucky Fried Chicken? 

Ten years ago if you wanted something indulgent you had to go to a specialist restaurant or just eat a lot of falafel, so it's a good thing.

that's true.  Dating a vegan girl might actually be doable for me now.

And some things like milk and mayo I've moved fully vegan all the time because I prefer it.

I don't eat mayo, but there's no way I'll ditch milk, real milk.  Anyway, real milk is better for the environment and for your health than any of the vegan alternative.  But it's a personal choice, really. 

[Sheilbh]

But more importantly: is there a vegan alternative for Kentucky Fried Chicken? 

Yes - the only types of vegan chicken I've seen have been fast food focused. I think they spotted the gap in the vegan market was for indulgence

I don't eat mayo, but there's no way I'll ditch milk, real milk.  Anyway, real milk is better for the environment and for your health than any of the vegan alternative.  But it's a personal choice, really. 

I only use milk for tea or ordering coffee and always get oat milk (which is better for the environment than dairy, I don't know about healthwise) but it is very tasty.

[HVC]

I was never a milk person, but had some once in a while. I think I'm becoming lactose intolerant, if late onset lactose intolerance is a thing. I can still eat cheese though, so that's good. Tried lactose free milk, but I'm allergic to it. Get a itchy mouth and throat (similar to my reaction with cashews and pistachios). Don't like nut milk too sweet, and soy milk tastes odd.

[Sheilbh]

Oat milk

I think I converted someone here already

[HVC]

I'll try it. Like I said not a huge milk drinker, but I did like it once in a while

[Sheilbh]

Inevitably in a decade or so we'll, no doubt, find out it's flamboyantly carcinogenic and I'll have been a low-rent Marlboro Man pushing it on all my friends and family

[garbon]

Oat milk