by Mark Armstrong
You’ve probably heard or seen some of the reports coming out of the UN. Cows, they claim, are destroying the planet. In one of the most bizarre fantasies ever, global warming fanatics claim that the bodily emissions from bovine herds are contributing to “global warming,” or “climate change,” take your pick. Goldsmiths University of London has banned the sale of hamburgers on campus, supposedly to reduce its carbon footprint.
Do college officials really believe they can alter weather patterns by such an act? They must know better. But these things don’t need to actually work or make sense. They’ve just got to get the urgency of the climate crisis through our thick heads, and of course virtue-signal that they’re taking concrete action to “save the planet.” And that makes them much more virtuous than you.
The “conveeenient” aspect (intended to be spoken in “church-lady” parlance) is the August release of a UN study that suggests that eating meat contributes to climate change, and therefore the “destruction of the planet.” You may think these headlines are made up, but they’re real, as a quick search on your device will confirm.
From Time magazine, “United Nations Climate Report Suggest People Should Eat less Meat.” The BBC ran with, “Plant-based diet can fight climate change.” From NPR, “To Slow Global Warming, UN Warns Agriculture Must Change.” The Telegraph UK says, “Eat less red meat to reduce climate change.” The New York Times published this, “Climate Change Threatens the World’s Food Supply.”
AP wire service wrote, “UN climate report: Change land use to avoid a hungry future.” The Guardian ran the headline, “Huge reduction in meat-eating ‘essential’ to avoid climate breakdown.” MSN wrote, “Humans must adopt vegetarian or vegan diets to stop climate change, UN report warns.” And they don’t just mean meat. They also want us to stop eating eggs and drinking milk. Maybe that seems like overkill on the headlines, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. They go on page after page as you’ll see when you check your device. Even National Geographic wrote, “Eating meat has ‘dire’ consequences for the planet, says report.”
You’re starting to get the picture. Nearly every outlet of information on earth has gone forward with the “dire” UN report that says we either forgo meat and dairy products, or accept responsibility for “destroying the planet.”
And here’s where it really gets special. You know who the number one investor is in the field of meatless meat? Yep. Al Gore. Mr. Gore instigated dozens of headlines when he publicly went “vegan” back in 2013. He’s reportedly the top investor and partner in a company called “Beyond Meat.” No doubt restaurants and fast-food franchises will be pressured to carry their meat-less meat products or be accused of contributing to the planet’s destruction. Millions may already have been shamed into announcing that they no longer consume meat, and are now helping to “save the planet.”
Now it’s all over TV. Burger King has introduced the Impossible Burger, and the actors claim it tastes just like a Whopper. Never mind that it has 22 ingredients that include things you probably would never eat. The confluence of the UN report, the promotion of “Beyond Meat” and Mr. Gore’s involvement is beyond coincidence.
