Scientists Warn We Will Be Vegetarians By 2050, Due To Water Lack

[wombatphil]

The world’s population could become all but vegetarian by the year 2050 because of water shortages and a spiralling population, scientists have warned.

At present, humans consume around 20 per cent of their protein from animal-based products. But research from some of the top water scientists in the world suggests this will have to drop to five per cent by the year 2050 to feed the extra 2 billion people who are expected to be alive.

Animal protein-rich food uses five to ten times more water than a vegetarian diet. Scientists have also proposed eliminating waste and increasing trade between countries as other solutions to the possible crisis of water scarcity limiting food production.

“There will not be enough water available on current croplands to produce food for the expected 9 billion population in 2050 if we follow current trends and changes towards diets common in western nations," the report, called by Malik Falkenmark and colleagues at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) said.

"There will be just enough water if the proportion of animal-based foods is limited to 5% of total calories and considerable regional water deficits can be met by a … reliable system of food trade, “ continues the reports, called ‘Feeding a thirsty world: Challenges and opportunities for a water and food secure world'.

"Nine hundred million people already go hungry and 2 billion people are malnourished in spite of the fact that per capita food production continues to increase," they said.

"With 70% of all available water being in agriculture, growing more food to feed an additional 2 billion people by 2050 will place greater pressure on available water and land.

"The UN predicts that we must increase food production by 70% by mid-century. This will place additional pressure on our already stressed water resources, at a time when we also need to allocate more water to satisfy global energy demand – which is expected to rise 60% over the coming 30 years – and to generate electricity for the 1.3 billion people currently without it," said the report.

Given that we are up the certain creek, without a paddle and in a barbed wire canoe, we should be thinking of ways to change our habits, especially with the food we eat...

It makes a real lot of sense to eat mainly vegetarian type foods, not just because it helps the environment but because you will be a healthier person for it, and there is not much arguement against that really.

I got a second chance at life and most of what it had to offer, when I gave up all red meat and some of the other, (still got fish & real occassional chook) some 33 years ago. I was disabled, on crutches and getting noticeably worse rapidly with 'very severe osteo arthritis'. At 27, no future except pain and misery, no prospect of a family life or even marriage, no work, etc.

Giving up meat was hard but bloody hell, I'm a lot healthier for it. You folks for other reasons probably, would do well to listen just a little to what is out there on healthy eating and consider slowly changing your diet. If we all changed significantly, there would no longer be the 66% statistic of fatties in our society but a healthier crew and a far far lower health bill to boot...

A few pics below to tickle your fancy or to just straight out annoy some?

Or maybe we're wasting our time and have more to worry about with this lot????????

[earthdome]

Scientists, some of them with political agendas, have been predicting doom and gloom, that the earth will run out of resources, etc. for 50 years.

None of their predictions of doom and gloom have come true because there is one resource they don't include in their calculations.

That resource is the ability of the human mind to create, invent and innovate solutions to problems in a truly free market.

They are successful at one thing, getting the attention of the media, which loves to tell stories of doom and gloom to scare their readers/viewers, thus increasing their ratings and revenue from commercials.

[i am bob]

My ex-girlfriend (we lived together for 4 years) was a vegetarian and I eventually gave up eating meat at home. Restaurants were another story though... I found that my health didn't change any and I still remained overweight... hehe! Now I am back on a see-meat-eat-meat diet and I still feel the same - though I have lost about 10 kilos in the last year. Still no difference in my aches and pains though... I guess for some it is the way to go and for others it makes little difference.

The biggest difference I found? The taste! Some of the vegetarian replacements were quite good! I found some pre-made veggie burgers that taste much better than a lot of the pre-made beef burgers on the shelf - though neither is as good as my own home-made hamburger!

[Curley]

RAW food and don't mix starch and protein if you want to be healthier and to lose weight.

[Americano]

Two thirds of the Earth's surface is water and we are going to run out. I look at the Scientists prediction of running out of water as just more proof that their opinions are no better than the average person, and everyone has one. When I was in High School Scientists were saying another Ice Age was coming, now they are saying the Earth is getting hotter and hotter. Just proves they don't know the future, just like a weather man, they can't tell you what will happen tomorrow.

Try telling people in countries that have Monsoon rains every year that we are running out of water and they will think you are crazy. I bet the people living in Manila Philippines wish we had less water. Most of the city has been flooded for several days now with more rain on the way.

[Will]

Killing animals to eat is MURDER! ..... (tasty, tasty murder!)

I love animals..... (with a little salt and pepper!)

[earthdome]

Killing animals to eat is MURDER! ..... (tasty, tasty murder!)

I love animals..... (with a little salt and pepper!)

I am a member of PETA.

People for Eating Tasty Animals!

All the joking aside... I do think animals should be treated well without cruelty and prefer the free range sources rather than the factory farms.

[wombatphil]

Don't worry, I like to stir the pot sometimes and this OP does a little of that...

Two thirds of the Earth's surface is water and we are going to run out. I look at the Scientists prediction of running out of water as just more proof that their opinions are no better than the average person, and everyone has one. When I was in High School Scientists were saying another Ice Age was coming, now they are saying the Earth is getting hotter and hotter. Just proves they don't know the future, just like a weather man, they can't tell you what will happen tomorrow.

Try telling people in countries that have Monsoon rains every year that we are running out of water and they will think you are crazy. I bet the people living in Manila Philippines wish we had less water. Most of the city has been flooded for several days now with more rain on the way.

Hate to disagree with you on the water bit. But I don't believe that enough fresh water can be produced from sea water to do much of anything for crop production. Also, in the 9 years I've been in this country, there has been more than one year where water shortages were nearing critical stages. Before I left Queensland Australia, many country centres were down to figures like 5% water left in their dams and this was happening year after year... I believe I read about another big dry happening or beginning to in the US Heartlands again, as they had in the 30's... Dams are drying up in many far inland areas of the world such as China, Himalayas, Africa and such. A real lot of land in Asia is being lost, previously growing food crops, to palm oil crops for energy considerations mainly. Deserts around the world are increasing in size and taking farmlands and farmlands and forests in South America are still being lost today for the meat industry. The available water is reducing, the food crops are reducing, the people are increasing at a great rate of knots.

Fortunately, the ideas of mainstream folks today, will change within a generation or two and the ideas of living the willy nilly, "she'll be right mate" attitude to this subject, will change and maybe what is being touted by many learned men, a lot smarter and more knowledgeable than you or I will ever be, will come to pass. Our kids and grandkids will be in charge then and we will be as close to dead as one can get and the "forget about it" views will be dead with us. As for me, I just sit back and read about it all and know I can't do anything much to help, especially with all the obstacles the stubborn bast---s throw in the way of common sense.

[JJReyes]

My retirement plans include starting a farm-based Continuing Care Retirement Community in the Philippines. The fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry consumed by the residents will be organic. We will let the meat lovers, vegetarians and vegans spend hours arguing on which diet is better. The bottom line is organic, which includes the drinking water from a chemical-free spring. Although there is no proof, I have long suspected excessive chemicals in our food supply contributes to illnesses and the early onset of dementia.