Okay, China and the USA may have come up with a bilateral agreement to tackle global warming issues together - but don't be fooled, that is mostly a PR exercise. Behind the scenes, the USA actually plans to increase its mining and consumption of coal in the coming years; and who knows what the Chinese intend, as their plans are secret. Even the UK, hosting this latest world symposium, refused to sign up to the fossil fuel phase-out target which the science insists is necessary to reverse our rush towards climate catastrophe. Hugely disappointing all round. COP out, one might say.I've blogged about various aspects of the climate crisis several times over the last five years, but I'm going to spare us all another blah blah blast this evening. Instead I've been tracking one of the more improbably bizarre but constructive attempts to provide green alternatives to our destructive lifestyle. How would you like to print your own meat? Ridiculous? Read on...
sizzling steak on the grill
It seems to be the case that the world and his dog loves a juicy steak, burger, or roast beef feast, often washed down with a milkshake or followed by a dish of ice-cream. Even 60% of the menu available to the COP26 delegates was based on animal and dairy products! There's a revealing graphic at the bottom of today's blog that highlights the volume of greenhouse gas emissions from animal and plant based foods - scroll down for a quick check now and you'll note that beef production is by far the largest of all, with cow's milk coming in a close third, making the two cow-based items combined way more significant as sources of emissions than anything else.I was looking into the progress that's been made to date with bringing vegan, plant-based versions of bacon and sausages to market when I stumbled upon the concept of 'novameat' and a novel way of manufacturing it to resemble as closely as possible the texture and taste of a beef steak.
We are all now familiar with the concept of 3-D printers being able to 'print' quite complicated pieces of kit by using plastic and resin instead of ink in the printer jets, building up workable objects in a layering process driven by computer programs. Some high-tech companies, mainly in the USA and Israel, have taken the idea to another level and been developing liquids and spraying algorithms that can be used to replicate edible products - ersatz beef and pork steaks among them. I'll repeat. Ridiculous? Take a look at this...
3-D meat printing in action
Instead of inks, the nozzle jets spray out lines of tasty protein to build up a product that has both the fibrous texture of meat, but also the look, color and taste before and after cooking. It's still a very expensive option, still niche and still being enhanced, but like all innovations it will become cheaper over time and who knows, one day all restaurant kitchens will feature 3-D printers as part of their standard equipment...and we may even see domestic versions nestling next to the microwave.Of course, that's going to be of no immediate consolation to the swathes of the world with barely enough food for their families today and no kitchen to prepare it in. Which leads into my latest poem, to close. Again, probably not the finished article as it was written as the clock ticked down, but here's the first draft (with possible amendments to follow):From Printer To Plate at COP28
The kitchen's 3-D printers have beenworking overtime so ruthless leaders of the world can dine on grilled meatthat never knew a cow, washed downby a wine of rare vintage from a landalready drowned by rising seas. Still a minute off midnight, still too muchhot air, not just inside the dining hallbut everywhere. Secret oil wells andillicit beef farms for the few; poison,famine, searing fires and inundationsfrom swollen toxic oceans for many.
It's funny how the science can warnand technology provide alternatives,but unless there's an obvious means of getting something on the cheap ormaking a fortune out of it, then willto make a positive change is lacking.
If tonight I were one of those waiters,refugees from an imperilled state, I'd be wanting to hi-jack the 3-D devices and have them print a hundred caringhearts that I may transplant somehowinto self-satisfied and selfish breasts.
Should it be the end of the road for the friendly cow? What are your thoughts?
Thanks for reading, S ;-) Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook
