Study Finds Australians Remain Committed to Eating Meat Despite Concerns for the Environment
A new study from La Trobe University revealed that Australians are more open to other methods of reducing their carbon footprint instead of reducing or eliminating meat consumption. Over 700 Australian Facebook users, ages 18 to 84, participated in the survey.
To the surprise of researchers, they found that while many respondents were concerned about climate change, they considered reducing or stopping meat consumption to be the least effective way of addressing the problem. Many cited strong objections to vegetarian diets, attributing them to their eating habits. 74% said they simply liked eating meat and 73% said their family consumed this type of food. Nearly six in ten (58%) did not want to change their eating habit, and 48% believed that humans were meant to eat meat. Other barriers to non-meat diets included limited options when eating out (65%), lack of information about vegetarian diets (41%), and social networks’ meat-eating habits (54%).
However, despite resistance to reducing meat consumption, Australians expressed willingness to adopt other methods to reduce their carbon footprint. They believed that using energy from renewable sources was the most effective measure, followed by buying fewer new things, using public transport, and recycling more. Many respondents were also only partially convinced that agriculture and animal husbandry were a contributor to climate change.
The study aimed to increase awareness about the environmental impact of meat consumption by citing research showing that livestock accounted for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that a predominantly plant-based diet could be most beneficial for individual health and the environment.
Meanwhile, experts have debated the existence of climate change and the climate crisis. Some have pointed out that the sun’s activities have the largest influences on the Earth’s climate and that carbon emissions have little to no effect on global warming. This has led to a larger conversation about the myth of a climate “apocalypse” promoted by mainstream media worldwide.
Recent green agriculture policies implemented by many governments have had devastating impacts on farmers and consumers. A recent documentary revealed a United Nations agenda to end private farming and create dependence on a one-world government that will control the world’s food supply, all while attributing it to the climate change agenda.
