[Washington Examiner] n the 1973 sci-fi classic "Soylent Green," Charlton Heston's character faces a dystopian future in which a protein made from plankton is grown in test tubes to sustain an overpopulated Earth.A new National Academies of Sciences study from 18 top scientists suggests that a similar cultured protein will be needed in the not-too-distant future to deal with the problems of population growth and climate change.
The new Department of Energy-funded study on environmental engineering released Monday doesn't suggest that switching the global diet to a lab-made protein will lead to the horrifying climax of "Soylent Green", but it does suggest that beef will have to be made more scarce.
The report finds that livestock farming could be responsible for as much as 14.5 percent of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions, which are blamed for raising the temperature of the Earth. Cattle alone is responsible for almost two-thirds of that 14.5 percent, the study says.
Beef and dairy farming also require far more water per unit of protein produced compared to plant-based protein equivalents, the study says.
The study estimates that global meat production could grow as much as 12 percent by 2026 due to population growth and increasing demand due to rising standards of living in lower- and middle-income countries.
The environmental effects of this increase could be reduced by shifting global dietary patterns that de-emphasize animal-based protein, especially beef.
Not unlike "Soylent Green," the National Academies report says a variety of meatless protein products, including protein products grown from "animal and plant tissue cells in culture, are becoming available."
Somewhat related: The Mail -