Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein opens at Imperial College London
London research hub to focus on development and commercialisation of alternative proteins that can reduce environmental footprint of food production
A new sustainable protein research centre has officially opened today at Imperial College London, backed by a $30m grant from the Bezos Earth Fund.
Sounds delicious, they certainly know how to sell the stuff, although it does lead a chap to wonder why they think beef, lamb and pork aren't sustainable. Do they think meat is gone forever once we've eaten it all up? If so, I blame gender politics.
Maybe Ed Miliband has been lined up to show us how delicious sustainable protein can be, just as he famously didn't manage with his unsustainable bacon sandwich.
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5 comments:
A scientific question for you, AKH, similar to one I have asked about burning g wood and the release of CO2.
I read on another blog (maybe Tim Worstall's) that animals eating grass don't release any gasses that the grass itself wouldn't release in due course of decomposition. The animal's digestive tract just speeds up the process. Is that right? Are people concerned about methane, and do cattle somehow produce extra methane that wasn’t there before?
Sam - we wouldn't expect the grass to release significant amounts of methane during normal aerobic decomposition, not unless there was some anaerobic decomposition such as decomposition in damp or marshy conditions or maybe in piles of grass clippings. Or inside a cow.
Grazing animals do release methane and it's a while since I looked at this, but as I recall, methane doesn't have a long residence time in the atmosphere.
Another factor is that demographic data suggest this century will see a decline in the global human population. That may reduce the number of farm animals within the lifetime of children being born now.
In my experience arguments like this are best ignored as there are endless complexities which don't really go anywhere.
At least it's not taxpayers money this time. That doesn't mean though, that once they find a protien rich sustainable beetle, they will want to ban cows and force us all to eat beetles
That photo is forever.
Bucko - I can see them wanting us to eat worms next, worms grown on food waste, complete recycling.
James - yes he'll never get away from it.
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