Category: Catering
Goldsmiths, University of London, has banned the sale of beef products on campus from the start of this academic year. They have stated the reason for this as a desire to cut down their carbon footprint, and that the move stems from a recognition that both their staff and students 'care passionately about the future of our environment'. Shortly after this, Cambridge University also stated that they would be removing beef and lamb from their catering menus (replacing them with plant-based alternatives), and since implementing these changes, the catering team has reported a 10.5% reduction in overall carbon emissions.
We believe that Durham University has a responsibility to follow the example led by Goldsmiths and Cambridge by removing red meat from colleges and catering outlets and replacing it with plant-based options to reduce its carbon footprint. However, in order to do this, we must prove that students care about this issue and want to see these changes implemented. We appreciate your time in voting on this issue.
Comments
The sale and consumption of beef is one of the worst actions in terms of environmental damage; using 28 times more land and 11 times water for pork or chicken foodwise. A simple change to stop this would be a very easy way to cut carbon emissions and help prevent the destruction of even more rainforest.
Cut down red meat
Red meat is unhealthy, unsustainable and unnecessary for catered meals.
We could replace all beef with five times as much chicken and this would still have a smaller impact on the environment than beef. We need to eliminate red meat as one step towards combatting climate change
Whilst I respect your points of view, and the facts that accompany them (I would like to point out that I am by no means a climate sceptic), I think this petition highlights the morally prescriptive and illiberal nature of climate activism. If people want to consume red meat, they should be allowed to do so; and in the case of those living in college, they are paying for their meals and should at the very least have an option - after all, freedom of choice is a core tenet of liberalism. The point regarding the impact on British farmers has already been made on Durfess, and so I shan't be repetitive, but it certainly warrants careful consideration.