https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/climavores/id1623272960
Never heard of first-hand food? Ask Tamar
Mike
and Tamar talk a lot about eating better for our bodies and our planet.
They’ve tackled meat versus plants, processed food versus whole food,
cow milk versus almond milk. They even did a whole episode about the
pros and cons of local food. But in this episode, they talk about the
ultimate local food, something Tamar calls “first-hand food.” It’s the
food we grow, forage, raise, hunt or even fish ourselves; and it’s
central to Tamar’s book “To Boldly Grow.” In this episode Mike
interviews Tamar on how her book came to be and outs himself as a major
fan. “To Boldly Grow” is part memoir, part how-to guide. But it’s not
just a book about food. It’s about doing stuff; it’s about love and
marriage; and it’s available wherever books are sold if you need a last
minute holiday gift… Resources: To Boldly Grow by Tamar Haspel Have a
question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a
message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com.
We might feature your question on a future episode. Climavores is a
production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices
Climavores Live: Can we eat right and still save the planet?
We
want your feedback! Fill out our listener survey for a chance to win a
$100 Patagonia gift card. In this live recording of Climavores, Mike and
Tamar talk with special guest Dr. Marion Nestle, a nutrition and food
studies professor at NYU and author of Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life
in Food Politics. Over her long career, Marion has become one of the
leading voices on food, nutrition and politics. Her research examines
scientific and socioeconomic influences on food choice, obesity, and
food safety, with an emphasis on the role of food industry influence.
Tamar calls Marion “the premier Nutrition Scientist of the Western
World,” and it’s only a slight exaggeration! In this episode, Mike,
Tamar and Marion dig into why we believe what we do about food and
nutrition and explore where eating for the planet is – and isn’t – the
same as eating for health. Have a question about food and climate change
for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508)
377-3449. Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com.
We might feature your question on a future episode. Climavores is a
production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices
How climate-friendly is your Thanksgiving dinner?
Join
us on November 30 for a live, virtual episode of Climavores with guest
Marion Nestle. Come ask a question about food, nutrition, and eating for
the climate. We want your feedback! Fill out our listener survey for a
chance to win a $100 Patagonia gift card. This week, a whole lot of
Americans will sit down to Thanksgiving turkeys raised on farms; turkeys
that have eaten corn and soybeans that needed land and fertilizer and
other resources to grow. And although those turkeys are way better for
the climate than beef (which is why Thanksgiving is way better for the
climate than the Fourth of July), they’re still the most
emissions-intensive part of the meal outside of Tofurkey or wild turkey.
In this first ever Thanksgiving episode of Climavores, Mike and Tamar
break down the climate impact of America’s ultimate food holiday – from
cranberries to sweet potatoes. Spoiler alert: it’s not bad! They also
reflect on the intimate connection Native Americans and early settlers
had with their food and the land. And they give thanks for the less than
one percent of Americans who grow our food. Plus, Tamar remembers her
mother. RESOURCES: The Washington Post: Tamar on the climate impact of
Thanksgiving dinner Have a question about food and climate change for
Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508)
377-3449. Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com.
We might feature your question on a future episode. Climavores is a
production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices
Important Not Important: Starting a food company in the climate era
We
want your feedback! Fill out our listener survey for a chance to win a
$100 Patagonia gift card. Join us on November 30 for a live, virtual
episode of Climavores. Come ask a question about food, nutrition, and
eating for the climate. As a Climavores listener, you know that we spend
a ton of time trying to understand and help you understand how climate
change affects food, and vice versa. From beef to corn to rice to
deforestation and overfishing, to water and soil, and even to food
waste, our current food system is not great for climate change, or
people – but that also means there’s huge opportunities to build a
better one. Today we want to introduce you to Important, Not Important –
it’s science for people who care, like Climavores! The
critically-acclaimed show, hosted by Quinn Emmett, guides listeners
through in-depth conversations with incredible humans working on the
frontlines of the future, from climate to COVID, heat to hunger,
agriculture to AI ethics. Quinn teases out stories, tips, and tactics
from senators and scientists, investors and doctors, students and CEO’s,
and more, helping you to answer everybody’s favorite question: “What
can I do?” In this episode, Quinn welcomes Aishwarya Iyer, founder of
Brightland, the wildly popular maker of climate-friendly and delicious
olive oils and vinegars, to try and understand what it’s like to start a
food company in the climate era, why their bottles are both beautiful
and useful, and what California’s drought means for food. Learn more
about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is industry-funded research a problem?
Last
week, The New York Times weighed in on food and climate change in a big
way. They devoted an entire section of page one to Dr. Frank
Mitloehner, the head of an agricultural research institute at the
University of California, Davis. The headline? “He’s an Outspoken
Defender of Meat. Industry Funds His Research, Files Show.” The
implication of the story was that Mitloehner takes meat industry money
and expresses meat industry views. But The Times article admitted it
didn’t actually find anything unclean about the money, so it felt more
like a smear campaign to some. Or just a bad journalistic call. But the
article raised a bigger question for Mike and Tamar: How should we think
about industry-funded research, particularly when so much research
about the links between agriculture and climate is driven by
private-sector support? They also ask how we should think about
scientists who moonlight as advocates as well as how pseudo-scandals
like the one in The New York Times affect the larger conversation around
food and climate change. Resources: The New York Times He’s an
Outspoken Defender of Meat. Industry Funds His Research, Files Show.
Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a
message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com.
We might feature your question on a future episode. Climavores is a
production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices
Throwing soup to fight climate change
In
recent weeks, climate activists in London, Paris and Germany have taken
center stage for throwing food at famous works of art. Their goal? To
focus attention on climate change and fossil fuel dependency. And it’s
working. Videos of the protests have racked up tons of views on YouTube.
But are these kinds of protests the most effective way to persuade the
public? Mike and Tamar are in the anti-food-throwing camp. But while
they don’t agree on the methods, they push back against critical voices
in the climate movement. As Mike says, “If you’re going to get pissed,
get pissed at the oil companies and agribusinesses that are causing this
mess, not these idealistic young people trying to do something about
it.” In this episode, Mike and Tamar talk about the tension between
climate wonks and climate activists and weigh in on whether climate
activists are being helpful or not. Resources: ResearchGate on the
effects of extreme protest on popular support for social movements
NYTimes: Climate Protesters Throw Soup Over van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ The
Guardian: Climate activists throw mashed potatoes at Monet work in
Germany Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and
Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or
email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com.
We might feature your question on a future episode. Climavores is a
production of Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are GMOs the worst? Or the best?
In
the food world, conversations around GMOs (Genetically Modified
Organisms) have been polarized and vitriolic for decades. Fights over
the very early genetically modified corn and soy that were resistant to
glyphosate, the herbicide in RoundUp, set the tone for an argument that
we’re still having a quarter-century later. Yet human beings have
modified almost all of our crops and livestock for years. That’s the
whole point of breeding programs. But people feel differently about it
when scientists tinker with the genome. In this episode, Mike and Tamar
dig in on whether GMOs are the scourge of the earth or humanity’s
salvation. Tamar looks at the nutrition and environmental health facts
of GMOs and whether they’re actually bad for us. And Mike weighs in on
advances in genetic engineering, “Frankenfoods,” and the sea of
misinformation surrounding GMOs. Resources: Science Direct on using
Camelina as a source of EPA and DHA in fish feed Progressive Farmer on
drought-tolerant wheat Alliance for Science on disease-resistant cassava
PBS NewsHour on genetically engineered salmon Have a question about
food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the
Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at
climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a
future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn
more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The magic of trees
The
vast majority of habitable land on our planet is either agriculture or
forests. So when cropland and grazing land expands, forests shrink. This
is a problem because forests soak up about a quarter of the carbon
dioxide we emit. Mike and Tamar talk a lot on the show about ways to
make more food with less land. Why? Because doing that helps stop the
deforestation that’s transferring carbon from trees to the atmosphere.
In the current climate emergency, reducing emissions isn’t enough. We
need negative emissions, and trees are the best technology we’ve got.
But fixing the world’s deforestation problems, and its food and climate
problems, is more complicated than just planting more trees. In this
episode, Mike and Tamar answer a listener question about the negative
carbon footprint of fruit and nut trees. Then they dig in on everything
from agroforestry and using forests as carbon offsets to burning trees
for energy and national and international forest policy. Have a question
about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on
the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at
climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a
future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. VERGE
22, taking place Oct 25-27 in San Jose, CA, will convene more than 4,000
leaders working together to address the climate crisis across six
strategic areas: clean energy, sustainable transportation, carbon
removal, regenerative food systems, net-zero buildings and the startup
ecosystem. Register today and use the code V22PSMEDIA for 10% off of the
pass type of your choice: https://bit.ly/3f2f2FQ Learn more about your
ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Keeping climate change anxiety from crippling the next generation
Last
month, The Washington Post ran a story about college campuses offering
therapy for climate change anxiety. The American Psychological
Association found that nearly half of younger Americans say eco-anxiety
affects their daily lives. And, globally, a study in The Lancet found
that 59% percent of people aged 16-25 are very worried about climate
change. In this episode, Mike and Tamar respond to a question from a Bay
Area pediatrician caring for teenagers with climate change anxiety and
depression. Specifically, she asks how worried kids should be about
climate change and if there’s any way to shift their emotions around it.
With the effects of climate change all around us – massive flooding in
Pakistan, unprecedented drought in China, catastrophic ice melting in
Greenland, raging forest fires in California – it’s easy to get caught
up in apocalyptic speculation and hysterical warnings. But Tamar and
Mike say some of the facts can be reassuring and even empowering for
young people. Resources: American Psychological Association: Addressing
climate change concerns in practice The Lancet: on climate anxiety in
children The Washington Post: on colleges offering therapy for climate
change anxiety Have a question about food and climate change for Mike
and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449.
Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your
question on a future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script
Media. VERGE 22, taking place Oct 25-27 in San Jose, CA, will convene
more than 4,000 leaders working together to address the climate crisis
across six strategic areas: clean energy, sustainable transportation,
carbon removal, regenerative food systems, net-zero buildings and the
startup ecosystem. Register today and use the code V22PSMEDIA for 10%
off of the pass type of your choice: https://bit.ly/3f2f2FQ Learn more
about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on 'climate-smart commodities'
Don’t
miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20!
Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in
climate journalism. Climate change is a touchy topic in farm country.
But one third of greenhouse gas emissions come from food and
agriculture, so it’s crucial that the industry becomes part of the
climate change solution. For years almost all the action on climate
change centered on energy – solar and wind and electric vehicles taking
on coal and gas and oil. But now Washington is suddenly buzzing about
“climate-smart agriculture,” and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack is
in the middle of the action. He just announced $3 billion in grants for
“climate-smart commodities.” The Inflation Reduction Act is sending the
USDA $20 billion for climate-smart projects. It’s incredible how
quickly the food and climate issue has moved to the center of the plate.
This week, Mike and Tamar welcome Secretary Vilsack as their first
Climavores guest. They dig in on everything from regulating farmers to
regenerative agriculture to subsidies as a bridge to market solutions.
And of course Mike pushes the Secretary on his favorite topic –
biofuels. Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and
Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or
email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your
question on a future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script
Media. VERGE 22, taking place Oct 25-27 in San Jose, CA, will convene
more than 4,000 leaders working together to address the climate crisis
across six strategic areas: clean energy, sustainable transportation,
carbon removal, regenerative food systems, net-zero buildings and the
startup ecosystem. Register today and use the code V22PSMEDIA for 10%
off of the pass type of your choice: https://bit.ly/3f2f2FQ Learn more
about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are processed foods evil?
Don’t
miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20!
Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in
climate journalism. Draw a Venn diagram of people who care about the
climate impact of their food and people who are suspicious of processed
food, and you’ll see an awful lot of overlap. People love to hate on
processed foods. But historically, food processing actually freed women
from the literal daily grind of putting food on the table. And from a
climate impact standpoint, more processed foods actually contribute to
less food waste. So what gives? This week, Mike and Tamar dig into the
pros and cons of processed foods. From Impossible Burgers to Doritos,
almost everything we eat is processed. But there’s a difference between
processed and ultra-processed and the impacts each has on our health and
our planet. Resources: Cambridge University Press on the NOVA food
classification and the trouble with ultra-processing Have a question
about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the
Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at
climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a
future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn
more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Soy: the protein we love to hate
Don’t
miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20!
Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in
climate journalism. When a lot of people think of soy, they think of
allergens, overly processed food, and man boobs. There’s even a current
full-court press in some corners of the nutrition community to blame
seed oils like soybean oil for disease and obesity. And that’s not even
taking into account environmental concerns around deforestation in the
Amazon and heavy pesticide and herbicide use in soy monocultures. The
U.S. grows 90 million acres of soybeans annually, second only to Brazil
in global soybean production. And almost all of that U.S. soy is
genetically modified, another red flag for environmentalists. But Mike
and Tamar say soy has gotten a bad rap. And it’s time to set the record
straight. This week, they dig into the nutritional and environmental
benefits of soy and ask how soy became a proxy for the evils of
industrial agriculture. Resources: National Institute of Health on the
myth of man boobs GOOP on seed oils farmdocDAILY on lower fertilizer use
in soy vs. corn Our World in Data on soy’s bad reputation and whether
it’s justified Have a question about food and climate change for Mike
and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449.
Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your
question on a future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script
Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mailbag episode! Bug protein, farmed fish, oysters, and more
Every
episode of Climavores starts with a listener voicemail. In past
episodes, Mike and Tamar have answered your questions about vertical
farms (are they a climate-friendly alternative to traditional
agriculture?), plant-based milks (are they actually better for the
climate than dairy?), and beef (is it really that terrible for the
planet? Spoiler: yes). But our Climavores listener hotline is
overflowing. So this week, Mike and Tamar are dedicating an entire
episode to answering as many of your questions as possible. They tackle
everything from soy’s bad reputation (did someone say “man boobs”?) to
factory-farmed fish, bug protein and the topic Tamar loves to hate:
regenerative agriculture. It’s the mailbag episode! And it won’t be the
last, so keep your questions about food and climate change coming. To
leave a message for Mike and Tamar, call the Climavores hotline at (508)
377-3449. Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might
feature your question on a future episode. Climavores is a production of
Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices
Don’t tread on my pork!
Earlier
this month, Cracker Barrel announced the addition of plant-based
sausage to its breakfast menu. It was a move largely applauded by
vegans, vegetarians and environmentalists alike; but plenty of meat
eaters had a different take. ”YOU CAN TAKE MY PORK SAUSAGE WHEN YOU PRY
IT FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS!!! read one Facebook comment. It’s not
surprising to see food so intrinsically linked to our identities. We’ve
become an increasingly polarized nation, both politically and socially.
Across the U.S. there are now counties where Democrats make up 3% of the
population and counties where they make up 95%. Mike describes it as
two different Americas – one of bike paths, composting, and NPR; another
of pickup trucks, megachurches, and Fox News. In this episode, Mike and
Tamar look at how we make decisions, and whether it’s possible for us
to change our minds or behaviors around an emotional issue like food.
They dig into confirmation bias, echo chambers, and our increasing
tendency to complain about everything. And Tamar asks listeners to think
about the last time they changed their minds about something truly
meaningful. Have a question about food and climate change for Mike and
Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or
email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your
question on a future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script
Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Where food and agriculture fit into America’s big climate bill
Last
week, Barack Obama called President Biden’s signing of the Inflation
Reduction Act a “BFD” on Twitter. With about $370 billion worth of
climate funding, it’s an especially BFD for the planet. The IRA marks
the single largest climate investment in U.S. history, promising lower
energy costs, increased energy security, targeted decarbonization
efforts across all sectors of the economy, investments in disadvantaged
communities, and support for rural communities. But how will it impact
food and agriculture in particular? In this episode, Mike and Tamar dig
into the bill’s fine print and highlight some of the “Climavores
provisions” they’re excited about. They also check whether Congress
followed their four-point plan to promote eating less beef, tackle food
waste, ditch biofuels, and safeguard yields. (Spoiler alert: they mostly
didn’t). But both agree, there’s still lots to like in this bill.
Resources: AgWeb: What's Ag's Stake in the Senate-Passed Inflation
Reduction Act? The Hill: Inflation Reduction Act puts our oldest
climate-fighting technology to work Holland & Knight: The Inflation
Reduction Act: Summary of Budget Reconciliation Legislation
farmdocDAILY: Reviewing the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022; Part 1 Have
a question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a
message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at
climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a
future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn
more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The intersection of animal welfare and climate
Prioritizing
efficiency in the U.S. chicken industry has made chicken cheap. And
that’s led, in part, to Americans eating way more chicken and
significantly less beef than they did a half-century ago. From a climate
change perspective, it’s a major win. From an animal welfare
perspective… not so much. In this episode, Mike and Tamar look at animal
welfare in the beef, pork and chicken industries through a climate
lens. They ask whether raising animals more humanely means accepting
higher greenhouse gas emissions, or whether there’s a middle ground. And
Mike responds to a reader’s critique of his recent Canary Media article
“What’s the most climate-friendly way to eat? It’s tricky.” Plus, are
organically raised animals treated better than industrially raised? And
Mike asks the question: What do we owe the animals we eat? Have a
question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a
message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at
climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a
future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.
Resources: College of Agriculture and Environmental Science: Examining
the effects of hen housing Science Direct: Evaluating environmental
impacts of contrasting pig farming systems with life cycle assessment
NYTimes: Hens, Unbound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices
Got plant-based milk?
Plant-based
milks make up 16% of U.S. milk sales. From soy, oat and almond milk to
hemp, macadamia and quinoa milk, more and more consumers are pivoting
away from animal milk. And that’s a good thing for the planet. Turns
out, animal milk requires massive amounts of land (12 times more land
per gallon than oat milk and 18 times more than almond milk). And all
those dairy cows emit massive amounts of greenhouse gasses into the
atmosphere, too. But some argue that growing water intensive crops like
almonds for almond milk does just as much to harm the planet. In this
episode, Tamar and Mike take on the dairy vs. plant-based milk debate
and answer the question: “Which plant-based milk is best for the
climate?” Tamar also looks at the nutritional value of plant-based milks
vs dairy milk. And Mike convinces Tamar to do a taste test to see which
non-dairy alternative might find a permanent place in her refrigerator
(spoiler alert: it’s not almond milk). Have a question about food and
climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores
hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at
climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a
future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script Media.
Resources: Dairy vs. plant-based milk: what are the environmental
impacts? Lay Off the Almond Milk, You Ignorant Hipsters Differences in
Environmental Impact between Plant-Based Alternatives to Dairy and Dairy
Products: A Systematic Literature Review 2019 Fluid Milk Sales and Per
Capita Consumption 2021 State of the Industry Report: Plant-based meat,
seafood, eggs and dairy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's food crisis is a postcard from our warming future
The
current conflict in Ukraine combined with a massive drought in the horn
of Africa are wreaking havoc on global food markets. Food supplies are
shrinking; food prices are spiking, and the World Food Programme is
warning of a “hunger hurricane” that could put a record 345 million
people at acute risk of starvation. In this episode, Tamar and Mike talk
about how in a warming world, we’re going to see more of these
breadbasket collapses. They also ask whether people’s eating habits
might change for the better as a result. And they lay out a four-point
strategy for growing more food without deforesting the planet. Have a
question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a
message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at
climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a
future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn
more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hot Farm: Enlisting unconvinced farmers
We’re
currently working on some fresh content based on listener questions.
We’ll have new episodes next week! This week, we're running an episode
from a podcast called Hot Farm. It's from our friends at the Food &
Environment Reporting Network. The podcast is about what farmers are
doing – or could be doing – to take on the climate emergency. In this
episode, you’ll hear from farmers who are skeptical about climate
change. But you’ll also hear about how they are joining the fight
against global warming once the issue is reframed. Hint: it’s about the
soil. Find Hot Farm on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to
podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Are vertical farms a real solution?
Farmland
covers almost 40% of the earth's land surface. When we think about all
that farmland, most of us imagine endless fields of grain or corn. But
vertical farms flip that idea on its head, literally. Instead of growing
out, vertical farms stack plants in multiple layers indoors where they
grow impressive yields under the steady glow of LED lighting. Vertical
farms are an attempt to sidestep many of the problems associated with
traditional farming – bad weather, pesticides, fertilizer runoff, hard
labor, food miles, and agriculture’s gigantic land use footprint. On the
surface, they seem like a farming win. But there’s a problem – and it’s
a deal-breaker. In this episode, Tamar and Mike explore the ins and
outs of vertical farming, and dig in on that deal-breaker (hint: it’s
all about energy). They also take a look at what vertical farms get
right, and what outdoor farming can learn from them. Have a question
about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the
Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at
climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a
future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn
more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The rise and fall of plant-based meat
Demand
for plant-based meat products surged in 2019 as companies developed
better-tasting products, negotiated better shelf positioning, and tapped
into shifting consumer preferences. But demand flatlined in 2021,
raising questions about whether plant-based products can put a dent in
meat consumption. Environmentalists have criticized companies like
Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods for lack of transparency on land and
water use. And nutrition experts dislike how processed they are. But the
reality is clear: these products are much, much better for the climate
than beef. In this episode, Tamar and Mike look at whether people are
going to ditch beef patties for a slab of soy or pea protein. What are
all the cultural obstacles? Have a question about food and climate
change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at
(508) 377-3449. Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might
feature your question on a future episode. Climavores is a production of
Post Script Media. Post Script Media is backed by Prelude Ventures.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s not the 'how,' it’s the cow
Few
foods are as tied up in American identity as beef. Think rugged cowboys
driving cattle across the open range, or all the good feelings that
come with summer grilling season. We love our beef. But meat accounts
for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gasses from food production. And beef
production alone makes up a quarter of that. The pro-beef camp often
argues that it’s not the cow that’s the problem for the climate. It’s
how the cow is raised. But as Mike and Tamar explain, a lot of it is the
cow. In this episode, Mike and Tamar dig into how the U.S. fell so
deeply in love with beef in the first place, and what the main problems
are with conventional beef production in the U.S. They also look at
efforts to green the beef industry and whether they’re having an impact.
From grass-fed beef to local meat CSAs, they try to answer the
question: are there climate-friendlier ways to eat beef? Resources: Meat
accounts for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gasses from food production,
study finds Is grass-fed beef really better for the planet Grassland
management impacts on soil carbon stocks: a new synthesis Have a
question about food and climate change for Mike and Tamar? Leave a
message on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449. Or email us at
climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your question on a
future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script Media. Learn
more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bursting the ‘eat local’ bubble
The
eat local movement is huge. Bumper stickers in liberal towns across the
U.S. tell us to “Eat local” or ask “Who’s your farmer?” But eating
local food may be wildly overrated when it comes to climate change. When
we look at how foods are produced, transportation accounts for less
than 10% of carbon emissions. So should we abandon farmers’ markets for
big grocery store chains? In this episode, Mike and Tamar break down the
real carbon footprint of local food and ask whether the value of
supporting local, small-scale farmers outweighs the climate benefit of
not buying local (spoiler alert: Tamar says yes. Mike says no). They
also dive into the history of the local food movement and explore why
it’s gained such traction. Have a question about food and climate change
for Mike and Tamar? Leave a message on the Climavores hotline at (508)
377-3449. Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might
feature your question on a future episode. Climavores is a production of
Post Script Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices
Why eating for climate is so complicated
Searing
heat waves, massive forest fires, rising sea levels – the effects of
climate change are all around us. But the role our food system plays in
fueling the problem? That’s less clear to most of us. We know our food
doesn't magically appear on grocery store shelves. Somebody's growing
it. But that process of feeding the planet generates a third of all
greenhouse gasses. And agriculture alone emits a quarter of all
greenhouse gasses. Pesticides, fertilizers, burping and farting cows,
cutting down trees to plant crops – it all wreaks havoc on our climate.
But we all have to eat...so, what’s the solution? In this premiere
episode, co-hosts Tamar Haspel (To Boldly Grow, The Washington Post),
and Michael Grunwald (The Swamp, Canary Media) talk about what led them
to start thinking about food in the context of climate change and what
it means to be a “climavore.” They also tackle the question, “What
should people eat to be responsible humans on a warming planet?” Turns
out, it’s complicated. We want your question for future episodes! Leave a
message for Mike and Tamar on the Climavores hotline at (508) 377-3449.
Or email us at climavores@postscriptaudio.com. We might feature your
question in a future episode. Climavores is a production of Post Script
Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Confused about how to eat for the planet? Give us a call.
Every
day, we make a zillion decisions about food. We’re bombarded with
marketing and media -- and nobody seems to agree about what to eat,
where to get it, and how to prepare it. Climate change is making all of
this even harder. We all know food is a big deal for the planet. But
it’s not always obvious what we should eat if we want to make things
better. Tamar Haspel and Mike Grunwald are here to help. Tamar and Mike
aren't going to make you feel bad about your lunch. Instead, they're
cutting through hype and ideology to explore the complicated, confusing,
and surprising relationship between food and the environment. And
they're answering your questions! Ask them anything about organic food,
local food, meat, fake meat – anything you can throw at them. We’re at
508-377-3449. Or drop us an email at climavores@postscriptaudio.com.
Full episodes drop on June 21. Give us a call, subscribe to the show,
and prepare to dig in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
megaphone.fm/adchoices
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