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A UC Davis Scientist on Why Meat Isn’t the Climate Villain
Is the diet being promoted to “save the planet” actually based on environmental data?
In this eye-opening interview, Dr. Frank Mitloehner, air quality specialist and director of the CLEAR Center at UC Davis, unpacks the claims behind the EAT-Lancet 2.0 report, particularly the idea that cutting animal-sourced foods will drastically reduce environmental harm. Despite widespread media framing it as a climate solution, Dr. Mitloehner reveals that the Planetary Health Diet is not grounded in environmental science at all — a fact even confirmed in the report’s own glossary.
He also highlights a key finding from the UN’s FAO: shifting to plant-based diets was ranked among the least effective ways to reduce livestock-related emissions, far behind solutions like improving animal health and increasing productivity.
📌 Key topics covered:
- Why the “Planetary Health Diet” isn’t actually about planetary health
- What the data really says about livestock’s role in climate change
- The misplaced focus on animal agriculture vs. major carbon emitters
- Conflicts of interest and misleading media narratives
- Proven methane reduction strategies already working in California
- Why plant-based diets are impractical to scale — and minimally effective for emissions
💡 If you’ve ever wondered whether giving up animal foods is the answer to climate change, or if the environmental case against meat holds up to scientific scrutiny, this interview is a must-watch.
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#MetabolicMind #FoodAsMedicine #PlanetaryHealthDiet
Expert Featured:
Frank M Mitloehner
- https://twitter.com/GHGGuru
- https://clear.ucdavis.edu/people/frank-mitloehner
- https://clear.ucdavis.edu/
- https://www.youtube.com/@clearcenteratucdavis
- https://www.instagram.com/ghgguru/
Resources Mentioned:
The Eat-Lancet Planetary Health Diet
https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet/the-planetary-health-diet/
FAO Pathways Towards Lower Emissions
Common Ground Film
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Published on 1 week ago