Beginning with a statement from the World Bank's first environmental specialist, Robert Goodland, who passed away in December of 2013.
"There seems to be only one remaining pragmatic way to reverse climate change before it's too late -- and that's by taking quick and large-scale actions in food, agriculture, and forestry." -- Robert Goodland
My 12-point paper on this topic was written in April of 2016. Here are two of the 12 points in what I consider the best piece I have ever written:
1. The above quote came from Robert Goodland's last public presentation in September of 2013, just three months prior to his death. Four years earlier, he and World Bank colleague, Jeff Anhang, published a 2009 World Watch paper estimating that at least 51% of human-induced greenhouse gas is attributable to livestock.
At the time, they calculated that "replacing 25% of today's livestock products with better alternatives could almost fully achieve the objective of the Kyoto Protocol."
Fast forward to 2016
5. Since zero progress has been made (from 2009 to 2016), it will now take much more "livestock products replacement" than the 25% or 50% reductions as proposed by Goodland and Anhang in 2009 and 2013 respectively. Our goal now should be to convince the entire world to try to replace ALL livestock products with greener, plant-based alternatives as quickly as possible.
We know that no matter what percentage reduction is targeted, there will be large numbers of people who will refuse to make
any reductions. In order to account for that widespread non-compliance, we must aim even higher--and then work hard to hit a total reduction of over 80% before 2020. Most would say that such a goal would be impossible to achieve in less than four years. But I disagree. All we need is the right amount of committed leadership and funding as we begin working on the demand side of the equation when it comes to what people are eating.
Summary: I wrote this April 2016 paper in an effort to appeal to "big-picture" thinkers everywhere. Share it with
