Solutions still in sight, scientists believe

Your choice can help determine the future of the planet

Chicken or beef?

Think carefully: your choice can help determine the future of the planet.

After raising the alarm on Friday about the fight for survival of many animal and plant species, which they lay at the door of mankind, scientists stressed we can still redeem ourselves.

And it doesn’t have to be that hard.

“We don’t all have to become vegetarians,” said Robert Watson, an atmospheric scientist and head of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which brought out the first major global species assessment in 13 years.

“But a more balanced diet — less beef, more chicken, more vegetables ... can really help relieve the pressure.”

The IPBES reports, released at a major environmental conference in Medellin, are meant to guide governments in policymaking. But their authors stressed we all have a role to play.

When it comes to diet, for example, Mark Rounsevell, a professor of sustainability who co-authored one of the four IPBES reports, points out it takes about 25 kilograms of plant matter to produce one kilogram of beef.

Cows are also major emitters of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to planet warming which the IPBES warned is now one of the major threats to biodiversity.

“Stop food waste,” is Watson’s next tip. “Make sure you don’t buy too much from the supermarket ... Get restaurants to have appropriate amounts of food on the plate.”

The clearing of land for farming is a major enemy of biodiversity, driving animals and plants from their habitats.