EAT MOR CHIKN

My case for informed hypocrisy about food and climate

My third column for Canary Media is about climate tradeoffs. The chicken industry tortures birds, mistreats workers, exploits farmers, debases politics…and has helped save the climate over the last half century. When it comes to food choices, if climate is your priority, beef is the real baddie. That said, while I eat a lot less beef now, I still eat a little, because it’s delicious and I’m weak. I’ve also got solar panels and an electric car, but I still fly a lot. Very few of us are Greta Thunberg; perfect isn’t on the menu, and better is better than worse. People have complained that my piece is a defense of Big Chicken, but it’s not. It’s a defense of knowing all the consequences of our choices. And maybe cutting people a little slack when they make different choices.

https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/food-and-farms/whats-the-most-climate-friendly-way-to-eat-its-tricky

Also, I said that for a while I’d only be using this Substack to promote my writing about food and climate, but I’m also going to be talking about food and climate! My new podcast, Climavores, launches June 21; my co-host is the brilliant and funny Washington Post food columnist Tamar Haspel. Please subscribe here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/climavores/id1623272960

You can also ask us any questions you have about meat, fake meat, local food, organic food or my disgusting defense of McNuggets: climavores@postscriptaudio.com or leave a voice mail at 508-377-3449. Thanks!

Mike