Eating Insects - The food of the future?

I have just been listenimg to Costing the Earth on BBC Radio 4 presented by Tom Heap.

He was considering the fact that due to over population and mankinds need for HBV protiens we might be heading towards a society that by neccesity gets some of its protien from bugs.

He kicked off the programming eating a locust stir fry in Bristol, then visted Bart Hogerbrink in the netherlands to taste some cookies made with meal worm flour.

Both recipies sound fine, I think, although steak and chips sounds better.

The fact is that insects are VERY efficient at coonverting what they eat in to protien, WAY WAY WAY more efficient than a cow, sheep, pig or even a chicken.

BEEF VERSUS CRICKETS PROTIEN YIELD

So it can be seen that Beef is quite lavish in terms of resource use. Other insects such as meal worms will eat rotten fruit and vege proving high quality nutrients from waste.

With meat prices set to double in the next ten years, meat will certainly become a luxury, we will all probably eat less meat

Whether we eat bugs instead is another question I suppose. We could use them to feed fish . . .

Fashion and the Environment

Fashion the hidden enemy. How can we expect to live sustainable lifestyles when the fashion giants of the UK; Top Shop, Monsoon etc churn out an endless variety of trends, none of which last more than a few months. My wife, likes to stay in fashion, It is more difficult for a woman, a man can slouch around in jeans and a T-shirt at the weekend and a suite during the weeks, but a women is expect to do a little more (I am not being sexist, it is just the way it is). BUT am I merely conforming to the view set for me by society. It is easy to say let’s stop fashion but how.* Industry is so powerful and difficult to change.

George from Greece was saying that the cost of clothes is a problem they are sooooo cheap £3 for a pair of jeans, why even wash them? However, if you pay £100 pounds for a pair of jeans then you will look after them, ironically a pair of designer jeans don’t last as long a s a cheap pair!!

Tesco. Pulling its weight?

With Tesco constantly anouncing record profits every year we can asume that it has a little "room" in the budget to work on its environmental impact.

We have seen some very comendable stuff going on at Tesco, there has been zero carbon stores we have seen them spear heading quantified carbon labelling schemes, all be it very limited.

But where they are not making an effort is fish. We have all watched hugh fernly wishingstool on the TV, and we know that cod is bad, and mackeral is better, but do Tesco offer sustainable choices to there customers? Not of the whole.

Read more on sustainable fish.

Read more on green food.

Environmental Consultants Bristol
Environmental Consultants Exeter

Supply Chain Woes

Although the concept of the supply chain is a simple on the tracing of say all of
the components in a microwave can take months, as components may be
manufactured in different factories in different provinces / countries. How can this
information be passed over to a consumer so that they will understand the impact
there consumer-ing has on the global environment, its already started to a certain
extent with food, local food consumption is on the increase, supermarkets are
owing to consumer pressure but it needs to spread in to other sectors.

Also mentioned was the divisive and often “wooly” terms used to describe
environmental actions, taken by the particularly in the media, tax to target
motorist etc. Marketing slogans used and can also be very vague, “for every tree
we cut down we plant three more” this is great if they are talking about managed
spruce plantations in Scandinavia. Not so good if it is virgin Brazilian rain forest.
Because it would be unlikely they would replace like for like, probably a more fast
growing variety for instance, which would be less bio-diverse etc.

Environmental Consultants Bristol
Environmental Consultants Exeter

Population

Here is a simple concept;

A species reproduces via a breeding pair.

The breeding pair has two kids, population remians stable (ish).

The breeding pair has four kids, population double in one generation (ish).

So bearing that in mind. . . . .

Why is everyone adverse to talk of a "keep at two" policy, and at the same time moaning about new housing development spoiling their view.


More kids = more people = more houses.

If you like to see this issue discussed in UK parliment please sign the official UK Government petition on population:



More Info on Over population.

Population Matters UK

Eco Labelling