Opinion

Welcome to Reason: Why not switch to faux meat right now? 

John B Monteiro

People eat meat and think they will become strong as an ox, forgetting that the ox eats grass.
Pino Caruso (1934-2019), Italian actor, author, and TV personality. 

Before I go any further, ‘faux’ in the title is not to be mistaken for the word ‘fox’ in the context of discussing meat-eating — but about artificial or synthetic meat which has come upon the global scene. That said, the following is a news item that has been widely reported in the media: Rich countries should start consuming 100% synthetic beef: Bill Gates.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has stated that rich nations should switch to the dietary choice of '100% synthetic beef' in an effort to tackle climate change. When asked a question about cutting back methane gas emissions at an interview with MIT’s Technology Review, Gates said, "I do think all rich countries should move to 100% synthetic beef." He said that the population will get used to the taste difference and that the taste will get better over time. "You can get used to the taste difference, and the claim is that they’re going to make it taste even better over time. Eventually, that green premium is modest enough that you can sort of change the [behaviour of] people or use regulation to totally shift the demand," Gates added. However, he said that it won’t be viable for the 'poorest 80 countries' as "We’ll have to use animal genetics to dramatically raise the amount of beef per emissions for them." 

Research has shown that burping cows are massive emission contributors impacting greenhouse gas methane in the world. It cited that cattle emissions were almost the same as fossil fuels. Bill Gates has released a new book How to avoid a climate disaster: The solutions we have and the breakthroughs we need which was released on February 16, 2021.

Indians have a different reason for banning beef with some states passing slaughter ban laws. But, it does not preclude climate change concerns. To end the subject on a lighter note: If God did not intend to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat? – John Cheese (b.1939), English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. 

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