"on a given day", not the same 12% every day . . . which I guess would be expected, as not everyone eats beef every day!
One example is the whole plastic straws debacle. Let's virtue signal and blame the peasants for the plastic in the oceans. In reality more than 50% of the plastic that ends up in the oceans is from commercial fishing nets. Oh... Did you know that the paper straws that you are hailing as a solution have even more PFAs than your regular dumb straws?
Carbon emissions? Let's slap that on the suckers and demand that their cars do 100mpg while not emitting a single CO2 molecule. Meanwhile... How much emissions do the top 10-20 diesel powered large ships in the world put in the atmosphere?
This needs to be done systematically and at policy level considering a multitude of social factors. Telling everyone how bad beef is? Not helpful
We should absolutely fight their government abuses, but we can also push back at the consumer level. It's bad for them personally, as well as for the environment.
Even at best that would only fix a tiny fraction of the problem, and we do need to push at the corporate level. But unlike the stupid straw thing, reducing meat consumption really does have environmental benefits.
That demonstrates not only that governments are unable to solve the problems at the production side but also that they're choosing the minimum they can do to pretend they're making an effort, all while minimizing disruptions to the markets. I'd argue that the capitalism and the need for growth is the problem.
> In reality more than 50% of the plastic that ends up in the oceans is from commercial fishing nets
> This needs to be done systematically and at policy level considering a multitude of social factors. Telling everyone how bad beef is?
It's the same problem as with beef. If everyone insists on eating beef and fish, governments won't regulate the industries or remove their subsidies. The population has to want those regulations, otherwise it won't ever happen.
So the solution is the same as with beef. Switch to plant based diets personally, then demand changes on the political level.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance#Meat-eati...
Plant-based diets are the only way to feed 10 billion people sustainably.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/917471
How Compatible Are Western European Dietary Patterns to Climate Targets?
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/21/14449
What humanity should eat to stay healthy and save the planet
If I eat a steak and cheeseburger in the same day, am I part of that group or am I never part of the group because I only eat beef 1x per week?
> 12% of Americans eat half the nation's beef
Vs. the article's full title:
> How a mere 12% of Americans eat half the nation's beef, creating significant health and environmental impacts
Vs. the first para:
> A new study has found that 12% of Americans are responsible for eating half of all beef consumed on a given day, a finding that may help consumer groups and government agencies craft educational messaging around the negative health and environmental impacts of beef consumption.
The quality and quantity of actual facts heads downhill fast from there. Even ignoring the article's dreary left-wing political agenda...if a mentally-competent grown-up actually wanted beneficial (for the climate & environment) changes in American eating habits (vs. yet more performative activism, and sermons to the choir), then he might take into consideration the huge number of Americans who identify as being on the opposing side of that sensitive culture war issue, and plan accordingly.
I have yet to see any sign, anywhere, of that last bit.