From Farmers Guardian:
The UK Government’s top climate change advisor has warned vegan activists are ‘the opponent’ of climate change mitigation.
Lord Deben, who chairs the influential Climate Change Committee (CCC), told the East of England Farming Conference today (November 18) that vegans must be prevented from ‘taking over’ climate change debates.
He also urged the public to eat British beef if they were serious about mitigating their own impact on the climate, saying it has ‘the lowest carbon footprint in the world’.
“We should be recognising that most of the discussion about meat is besotted by people who have an ulterior motive,” he said.
“Veganism is not the answer to climate change. Indeed, it is an opponent of solving climate change, because unless we have animals, we cannot have the kind of mixed farming which ought to be a very significant part of the farming community.
“We will not get the kind of landscape or healthy soil we need unless we have animals.
“We therefore have to stop the vegans taking over the climate change agenda for purposes which are not about climate change, but are about a kind of religious desire to stop the husbandry of animals.”
Obligations
Lord Deben went on to claim the Government would be unable to fulfil its international climate obligations unless the farming community was ‘fully on board’.
“The Climate Change Committee recognises unless the farmer plays his part and is sharing in the battle, we are not going to achieve our aim of net zero,” he said.
The CCC has previously been criticised by the industry for recommending meat and dairy consumption is cut by 20 per cent by 2030, rising to 35 per cent by 2050 for meat only.
I know Seldom Glummer was speaking to a group of farmers, and that should be kept in mind, but I find this surprising. Considering what the CCC have been advising the govt up to now his words seem at odds with his committee's words. He might want to speak to his chief executive Chris Stark about what he's telling the public every time his face appears on telly or radio.
Veganism is ‘the opponent’ of climate change mitigation, says top climate advisor
News18 Nov 2021Abi KayThe UK Government’s top climate change advisor has warned vegan activists are ‘the opponent’ of climate change mitigation.
Lord Deben, who chairs the influential Climate Change Committee (CCC), told the East of England Farming Conference today (November 18) that vegans must be prevented from ‘taking over’ climate change debates.
He also urged the public to eat British beef if they were serious about mitigating their own impact on the climate, saying it has ‘the lowest carbon footprint in the world’.
“We should be recognising that most of the discussion about meat is besotted by people who have an ulterior motive,” he said.
“Veganism is not the answer to climate change. Indeed, it is an opponent of solving climate change, because unless we have animals, we cannot have the kind of mixed farming which ought to be a very significant part of the farming community.
“We will not get the kind of landscape or healthy soil we need unless we have animals.
“We therefore have to stop the vegans taking over the climate change agenda for purposes which are not about climate change, but are about a kind of religious desire to stop the husbandry of animals.”
Obligations
Lord Deben went on to claim the Government would be unable to fulfil its international climate obligations unless the farming community was ‘fully on board’.
“The Climate Change Committee recognises unless the farmer plays his part and is sharing in the battle, we are not going to achieve our aim of net zero,” he said.
The CCC has previously been criticised by the industry for recommending meat and dairy consumption is cut by 20 per cent by 2030, rising to 35 per cent by 2050 for meat only.
I know Seldom Glummer was speaking to a group of farmers, and that should be kept in mind, but I find this surprising. Considering what the CCC have been advising the govt up to now his words seem at odds with his committee's words. He might want to speak to his chief executive Chris Stark about what he's telling the public every time his face appears on telly or radio.