Damian Carrington for the Guardian (2017)

Essay

According to an article by Damian Carrington for The Guardian (2017), there is still hope that global warming can be beaten. The article details seven ‘megatrends' that are critical in keeping temperatures within 2 degree Celsius of current global temperatures as outlined in the Paris agreement of 2016 which aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change (Magil B, 2016). One of the newest of these ‘megatrends', and the subject of this essay is the utilisation of plant-based substitutes to substitute dairy and meat in our diet (substitute products). Implicit to the success of substitute products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GGE) is individual consumers making conscious decisions to reduce their intake of meat and dairy (Weber C & Matthews H, 2008). This essay will evaluate the validity and strength of the argument for using substitute products to reduce GGE through the individual consumer. This will be done using systems thinking analysis and study positioning theories to critically analyse the issue.

There are several factors to consider in order to gain a full understanding of the issue. Many individual issues contribute to the reduction of CO2 from livestock farming such as; deforestation, water irrigation and transport however this report will not focus on any specific area of reduction, but rather consider the overall effect of reducing meat and dairy consumption. Reports by the World Resources Institutes and Nature Communications detail that the single most important way to reduce GGE is for individuals to eat less beef (Magill B, 2016). Princeton University research scholar and co-author of the World Resources Institutes report Timothy Searchinger stated that reducing meat consumption globally could reduce the per capita GGE related to eating habits between 15% and 35% by 2050 (Erb et al, 2016). That is roughly the equivalent to the emissions from every car, plane, train and ship on the planet (Wellesley L, 2015). Whilst there are many reliable sources that report similar findings, I have chosen to report on these two as they had been peer-reviewed by Oxford University Future of Food Program researcher Marco Springmann, who is unaffiliated with the studies. He reports both papers are theoretically correct in stating that dietary changes on behalf of the individual consumer are crucial to keep climate change within 2 degrees Celsius of current temperatures (Magill B, 2016). He also states that both studies are valuable because they link what people eat to their impact on the environment and climate (Magill B, 2016). The two studies compliment each other as The World Resources Institute is an organisation that promotes sustainability and preservation and makes assumptions based on socialist ontology suggesting that consumer knowledge of the damage of meat consumption is enough to curb their intake and make conscious decisions. Whereas