Featured Archives - Environment Matters

Wild Fires Show How Our Planet is in Peril

by Allan Maynard | Aug 22, 2023 | A Sustainable Future, Climate Change, Featured

Homes are pictured near the McDougall Creek Wildfire as it burns in West Kelowna, B.C. on Friday, Aug. 18, 2023.

Wildfires Show How Our Planet is in Peril – Why Then is There a Political Divide?

Humanity is in the hot seat; humans are the cause. On this, there is universal consensus among scientists. Unfortunately, this does not translate into political consensus. If fact it is quite the opposite.

Headlines from the media scream out the urgency. ‘Era of Global Boiling’ // ‘Antarctica Missing and Argentina-Sized Amount of Sea Ice’ // “Florida Records Unprecedented ‘Hot Tub’ Temperatures” // ‘European Weather: Blistering Cerberus Heat Wave’ // ‘Canada Experiences Worst Fire Season on Record’ // Maui Fires Leave a Trail of Death and Destruction//Yellowknife – Entire City Evacuated. These are not “sky is falling” headlines but most often from quotes by climate scientists.

These are but a few of the headlines we are seeing daily. July has now been confirmed as the hottest month in recorded history (see graph). Smoke from Canada’s plagued northeastern cities in Canada and the USA forcing millions to avoid being outside. Deaths from heat stroke are at an all-time high around the world. Already, around 600 million people have been stranded in inhospitable conditions by global heating. The death toll from the Maui fires is over 100 and growing each day as the houses are searched. Any kind of denial about the reality climate change has been burned to a crisp.

Please Click to Enlarge

THE SCIENCE – THEN AND NOW

Scientific Consensus: The human-caused global warming is undeniably the main factor in causing the deadly heatwaves and significantly amplifies the resulting extreme climate events, that have struck our planet this year. This is clearly stated in the landmark report published on in March 2023 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), assembled by the world’s foremost climate experts, approved by all the world’s governments and endorsed by all national science academies and associations. The all-important scientific consensus is discussed in this article – https://www.environmentmatters.ca/climate-change-facing-reality-debunking-misinformation/

The report is clear. “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.”

Extreme Frustration: The major frustration for scientists around the world is the fact that these climate events were predicted decades ago – in some cases even coming from individuals within fossil fuel industry research departments. https://www.environmentmatters.ca/climate-change-industry-knew-this-was-coming-2/

Some events exceed predictions: What is even more worrisome is that some of the events occurring in the past 2 years have been worse or have arrived sooner than even the direst predictions. These include, but are not limited to, the rapid rise in ocean temperatures, the massive loss of Antarctic Sea Ice, and the rapid weakening of the Gulf Stream.

CAPITAL, POLITICS AND US

There are many more examples that could be provided. I am certain most readers or watchers of the news cycles are aware of the unprecedented challenges that humanity faces. The question then becomes – WHY ARE WE MOVING SO SLOWLY TO DEAL WITH THESE CHALLENGES. The reasons point to – Capital, Politics and Us.

Capital: There are about 10 times more fossil fuel reserves than can be used if the world is to adhere to no more than 1.5 degrees as agreed upon in the Paris Climate Accord. This equates to more than 1 trillion dollars (US) of fossil fuel assets that will be stranded.

The industry’s response has been predicable. DENIAL, DELAY and DEFLECT. For the fossil fuel industry over the past few decades, climate change denial was a multi-million-dollar endeavour. The goal was to delay action and protect profits for as long as possible. They fought science with junk-science but their message stuck. The denial reports became the salvation for politicians (for the most part from the right-wing parties around the world) who lacked the courage to confront the global warming threat, or even worse bowed to the wishes of their mega-donors.

https://www.environmentmatters.ca/climate-change-industry-knew-this-was-coming-2/

Politics: Capital has an outsized influence on politics thus sowing decades of division while the situation worsens. In fact – Capital is rewarded by governments around the world, with subsidies estimated by the World Bank to be 23 million dollars per minute. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/15/vast-fossil-fuel-and-farming-subsidies-causing-environmental-havoc-world-bank

Outright climate change denial no longer resonates given the extreme climate events of the past 5 to 10 years. The messaging is now directed towards attacking climate change solutions — regulations, renewable energy, sustainable cities, sustainable agriculture, and many other necessary endeavours. It’s a nonsensical “the cure is worse than the disease” kind of argument. Social media is co-opted to advance this negative messaging with Meme’s and Bots that make impressions without the need for facts or even context. Once formed, impressions are remarkably perseverant. It is a standard manipulation tactic because unfortunately it works. It’s easy to fall for misinformation, especially when the fake items reinforce preconceived ideas.

This is playing out for all to see in the USA. Since the late 1970s, every Republican administration has rolled back or even reversed any kind of environmental progress that had been previously accomplished. The most infuriating case was the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, reversing years of careful work and negotiation by scientists, diplomats and politicians. This was followed by an orchestrated evisceration of the EPA – even to the extent of removing any reference to climate change on the agency’s web site and written documents.

Fortunately, the new administration rejoined the Paris Accord and was successful in implementing the boldest US climate and environmental justice bill in US history – strangely called the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). However – every single Republican voted against the plan and after the midterms there are efforts afoot to the repeal the IRA. Moreover, in the past month an influential right-wing foundation (the Heritage Foundation) funded by big industry has initiated a 22-million-dollar project (as a presidential proposal called Project 2025) to bolster the fossil fuel industry and reverse or even eliminate programs directed towards sustainable energy.

Similar tactics are being observed in Europe. After two years of real progress, a ‘greenlash’ is brewing. In the UK, the ruling Conservative Party is actually campaigning against a net zero goal. In Canada – the political tactic of the Conservative Party is to simply ignore the issue. For the new leader Pierre Poilievre, and his party, the choice is to talk about everything but climate change. In Alberta, the Premier has initiated a moratorium on wind and solar projects.

The most disturbing development in my view though, has been the co-opting of environmental issues into the very irrational ‘culture wars’ engulfing democracies around the world. Companies addressing ESG (Environmental, Social Governance) are being labelled ‘woke capitalists’. (NOTE :: “Woke” seems to be a term that is widely misused as it normally means talking about racial and social justice). Climate scientists and campaigners are being bombarded with claims they are alarmists, communists, shills, woke stooges, global elites, and more. Several state governments have enacted laws that prevents cities from implementing renewable energy building codes. Sadly, it seems that now environmental protection is part of the culture war, neither policy details nor rational arguments matter.

This is unfortunate. The climate crisis is too serious to politicize. The world is facing an existential threat that is universal and requires cooperation within and between countries. We can no longer allow corporations to be unhindered in maximizing shareholder profit while incinerating the planet. We need to remember though – that we – the voters elect our governments. So – what about us?

What about us: From my own readings, I find there is a wide range of emotions and opinions within the electorates of countries around the world – exasperation, anxiety, anger, dismay, dismissal, and even in some cases denial, along with a sense that there’s nothing we can do. Many still see the threat to be distant and far into the future.

Eco- Anxiety is real especially among youth. A global survey in 2021 of 10,000 people between the ages of 16 to 25 revealed that about 60 percent told researchers they felt “very” or “extremely” worried about climate change with nearly 4 in 10, “hesitant to have children”.

My predominant emotion is OUTRAGE– in that these crises were predicted. There’s no question that anger or outrage – especially among our youth, is justified. Society has been conned and lied to for decades – and now we are facing the planet’s fury.

But we are all part of the problem. I believe there is an instinct that some of the needed changes will decrease our quality of life. There is an emerging sense of what many are labelling solution aversion. Some solutions, while absolutely necessary, will be challenging and perhaps even unpalatable – such as a significant price on carbon, the gradual phase out of gasoline and diesel fueled cars, elimination of natural gas in new construction, a proper (significantly higher) cost of animal protein as it becomes decoupled from deforestation, no-car cities, carbon surcharges on flying, elimination of many forms of packaging, extreme restrictions on water use, etc.

Many solutions will be viewed by some as an assault on individual freedoms instead of the need to address the common good. Many politicians are already using these challenges as wedge issues in upcoming elections – attacking climate solutions. For instance – the Conservative Party in Canada has vowed to eliminate the carbon tax without proposing a plan to finance a needed energy transition and without mentioning that the major oil companies around the world are NOT paying a fair share of taxes. https://www.marketforces.org.au/campaigns/subsidies/taxes/taxavoidance/

My hope is that the majority will see this crisis for what is really is and become increasingly informed and in doing so, accept and endorse change even when inconvenient and costly. NOT taking the needed actions will be much more costly and harmful in the near and distant future. This fact is very clear.

Short of donating to environmental organizations, or initiating our own forms of advocacy, the most important action we can individually do is to vote for our future and convince others to do the same. Politics matter. Any politician that does not acknowledge the crises the planet is facing and endorse a legitimate set of plans to deal with climate change and planetary destruction is not fit for office. We all have the power to ensure this happens and to advocate for change.

NOTE

There is a multitude of sources that provide information on reducing environmental impacts of our lifestyles https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2018/12/27/35-ways-reduce-carbon-footprint/

I have not addressed the significant environmental impacts by many non-democratic countries. That is another topic.

Move Away from Animal Agriculture

by Allan Maynard | Apr 15, 2023 | A Sustainable Future, Featured, Footprints of Everyday Life

Why it’s essential to move away from a
reliance on animal agriculture.

Plate and Planet: Why it’s essential to move away from a reliance on animal agriculture.

A quote by Jonathan Swift – (1721) – “You cannot reason someone out of something he or she was not reasoned into”, is often presented as a rational for avoiding conversations around politics and religion. I wonder if diet would also be among topics to ‘steer’ (pun intended) away from. Consider the boycotts and law suits that Oprah Winfrey (in Texas) and KD Lang (in Alberta) encountered for negative comments about the beef industry. The issues associated with diets forms a hard topic to consider let alone fully accept. But the facts about food are well documented and sobering. At the same time – there is good news. What is good for the planet is also good for our personal health.

I grew up becoming totally accustomed to meals centered around meat. I am certain this applies to many or most citizens in developed countries. Ask the question – “What’s for supper tonight?” and the likely reply would be – “Pork Chops” or “Roast Chicken” – or some other meat dish. Potatoes and vegetables would be side dishes, hardly worthy of mention unless it was a Sunday night that involved roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Over the past number of decades, “western diets” also included more and more processed convenience foods that contain refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, added sugars and salt.

Unfortunately, as many developing nations become more urbanized and citizens incomes have increased, traditional diets are transitioning towards this so-called western diet. This transition is enhanced by well financed marketing campaigns by major consolidated global food corporations.

Along with the well documented negative human health impacts associated with this nutrition transition, this dietary pattern is also completely unsustainable. Current food production is driving climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and drastic changes in land and water use.

Please Click to Enlarge

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF ANIMAL AGRICULTURE

The meat industry has an outsized impact on the environment and the global use of resources. Some of this was noted in my previous article. https://www.environmentmatters.ca/global-food-supply-a-growing-crisis/

Here are some notable facts:

Livestock (including the growing of feed) takes up nearly 80% of global agricultural land yet produces less than 20% of the world’s supply of calories and only 37% of total protein.
Almost 90% of all land mammals are humans or livestock.
Vegan-organic agriculture can be over 4000% more productive than animal-based agriculture in the amount of food produced per acre.
Without meat and dairy consumption, global farmland use could be reduced by more than 75% – an area equivalent to the US, China, European Union and Australia combined – and still feed the world.
Percentage of grain harvest used to feed cattle – 38% of the world’s harvest, 60% of Brazil’s harvest, 70% of America’s harvest.
50% of all the water used in the USA is devoted to livestock farming.
One pound of beef requires 2500 gallons (9500 liters) of water. One pound of potatoes requires only 24 gallons (90 liters).
The entire system of food production, is responsible for about 35% of all greenhouse gas emissions from human activity.
A football pitch-sized tract of forest is lost every second somewhere around the world (or over 5 million acres per year) because of agricultural expansion; meat production is the single biggest cause.

The following graphic clearly demonstrates the differences in resource use and environmental impacts of the various food groups and clearly demonstrates the heavy toll of animal agriculture.

HUMAN HEALTH IMPACTS OF ANIMAL AGRICULTURE

Consider the diet fads over the years (mostly directed towards weight loss) – the Grapefruit Diet, the Scarsdale Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, the Keto Diet, etc. The amount of information – (books, articles, documentaries, and lectures) pertaining food is overwhelming, controversial, and contradictory. Many studies are rife with confirmation bias (the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one’s prior belief); many are funded by the various food industry groups. The dairy industry for instance will promote milk and cheese as healthy food choices despite well documented findings to the contrary.

The subject is extremely complex, with a wide variety of viewpoints and strong emotions. Clearly, people’s choice of diet is highly personal even if certain risks are known. It is though, becoming increasingly clear, that that a diet centered around meat, dairy and processed foods significantly increases the risk of a variety of diseases including cancers, diabetes, heart disease and strokes. Conversely, the more fruits and vegetables we eat, the lower our risk for these diseases. In short – plant-based foods are healthier. That is certain. Rather than delve into more detail, I have added some references below for those that may be interested.

In terms of human health associated with animal agriculture, there is another major factor to consider – ZOONISIS. A zoonosis is an infectious disease that has jumped from a non-human animal to humans. Zoonotic pathogens may be bacterial, viral, or parasitic. They represent a major public health problem around the world due to our close relationship with animals in agriculture. Up to three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, or come from human-to-animal contact, according to the CDC.

The great flu of 1918 to 1920 was caused by a virus likely of avian (bird) origins. While there is an ongoing debate about the origins of Covid 19, zoonosis is the predominant consensus.

NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS

The good news – human diets that link health and environmental sustainability will nurture both. In other words – by transitioning towards a diet that is beneficial to the planet will most certainly be the most beneficial for human health.

Consider the graphic below showing the association between a food group’s impact on mortality and its environmental impact. The y axis is plotted on a log scale associated with 5 environmental outcomes relative to the impact of producing a serving of vegetables (not including starchy roots and tubers). The x axis is the relative risk of mortality, – taken from “The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the US National Academy of Sciences

In 2019, the United Nations sponsored the EAT-Lancet Commission that brought together a commission of experts from 16 countries. This commission developed the world’s first scientific targets for healthy and sustainable food systems, including a “planetary health diet” with defined daily consumption ranges for each food group. https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet-commission/

This dietary pattern—characterized by a variety of high-quality plant-based foods and low amounts of animal-based foods, refined grains, added sugars, and unhealthy fats—is designed to be flexible to accommodate local and individual situations, traditions, and dietary preferences.

Compared with current diets, this shift will require global consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar to decrease by 50%, while consumption of fruits, nuts, vegetables, and legumes must double. That said, the Commission emphasizes the importance of tailoring these targets to local situations.

In terms of human health associated with the planetary diet, – modeling studies show that between 10.9 to 11.6 million early deaths could be averted each year—a 19% to 23.6% reduction from current adult mortality rates.

In terms of environmental sustainability, it is estimated that if North Americans were to reduce meat intake by merely 10%, 100 million people could be fed using the land, water and energy that would have been used for livestock production. At present North American countries consume almost 6.5 times the recommended amount of red meat. Countries in South Asia eat only half the recommended amount.

SUMMARY COMMENTS

Far be it for me to provide advice to anyone concerning what to eat and what not to eat. Diet choice is highly personal. I will say this though. When speaking about climate change and habitat loss, the comment I hear the most is an expression of helplessness in terms of how to make a significant difference as an individual. I even wrote an article about that – https://www.environmentmatters.ca/how-can-we-prevent-a-climate-disaster/

It’s clear from reviewing the information above, that THE MOST significant contribution people can make, short of major items such installing solar panels to a home, is to reduce or even eliminate the consumption of animal products – with the added benefit of improving individual health.

In terms of my own experiences – it’s not that difficult – at least to reduce meat and dairy. I’m not vegan (yet) – but I must say, some of the most delicious meals I have had lately are vegan. My meat and dairy consumption is significantly reduced. I will continue this journey.

What is also encouraging – plant based eating is growing significantly around the world – even in North America. https://foodrevolution.org/blog/vegan-statistics-global/

OTHER REFERENCES

https://josephpoore.com/Science%20360%206392%20987%20-%20Accepted%20Manuscript.pdf

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sustainability/

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00243-1/fulltext

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1906908116

Some good references to consider on the health impacts of food sources. These are articles that refer to books – so can be read on line right away. It is easy to buy the books online.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/books/article/5-blue-zones-where-the-worlds-healthiest-people-live

https://nutritionstudies.org/the-china-study/

https://www.wholly-plants.com/the-cheese-trap/