this post was submitted on 04 May 2024
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Growing them outside is a lot different than doing so in a temperature controlled and highly regulated environment. Air cooling, sun lamps, all that uses power and that demand goes to the grid, which is coal and oil fueled.
Right so grow them outside or don't power it with coal and oil
Sure, but how do you grow enough to last the winter without greenhouses? Do you only eat meat alternatives in the growing seasons? The problem with everyone being vegan is that we don't have an agricultural infrastructure to fully support plant based food to last the entire year without greenhouses. Winter, disease, sunlight, water, all these things have a carbon cost to obtain, use, or fight against.
How do you feed the animals in winter?
Livestock requires food too. However much you need to grow and store in the warm months to feed the animals in winter could feed 10 times as many humans instead, regardless of how you do that. Not feeding the plants we grow to animals would necessarily be more efficient.
I'm not saying greenhouses are worse I'm saying they aren't so much better than changing to plants only would be a significant enough change at scale. We need to address the core of power production, coal and oil.