Researchers in Finland are experimenting with lab-produced coffee, using methods similar to creating lab-grown meats. On the one hand, this is good news as climate change has reduced the productivity of coffee plantations, making it necessary for farmers to clear more rain forest to meet consumer demands. Deforestation releases stored carbon, reduces carbon absorption, and in turn, drives global warming. On the other, it could negatively impact the income of coffee producers and their workers. I drink a lot of coffee. Either way, I’m gonna feel bad.
Are there any foods or beverages you feel guilty for enjoying, Deadsplinters? Bacon, almonds, foie gras?
Almonds, coffee, and most meat.
I don’t eat a lot of almonds but I have been cutting back on the meat because I do feel bad about it.
why almonds? if it’s the water use, that’s a really targeted, fabricated campaign. There is much more water wasted to grow alfalfa (I think that was it?), that’s then shipped off in bulk to China(?) at under market prices, for “reasons”
apologies if I’m jumping to an incorrect assumption, but it’s still fresh in my mind since we were talking about stuff like this at work.
No, you’re right. It’s primarily the water use issues posed by almond growers. I’m not aware that this problem has been debunked, but I’m open to listening and reading if you have some recommended sources.
There’s also a bee issue.
I hadn’t heard of the issue with bees, that’s concerning.
I think this is likely where I ran across the almond/alfalfa issue:
https://gizmodo.com/seriously-stop-demonizing-almonds-1696065939
But, regardless of the crop, there is a serious problem with inefficient agricultural use of water in California. I don’t have any clue how we can go about trying to solve it, because the farming corporations using the subsidized water, have enough political influence to keep the regulations and costs low, and aren’t about to go about investing in more water efficient infrastructure, when they can just get the state to foot the bill for water cheap enough for them to waste. Eventually the increasing salinity of the soils will doom CA agriculture, but that won’t be good for anybody…
Sometimes I feel guilty for drinking adrenochrome but then I remember as a godless liberal it is my sworn duty.
As long as you’re eating the whole child I think it’s okay. But if you’re just drinking the adrenochrome that’s wasteful!
I had it as a pizza topping at Comet Ping Pong in DC and it was pretty good.
How about just the sheer amount of food that I eat? On the other hand, we hardly ever have leftovers! And if we do those get eaten. Food waste provokes the most guilt in me.
As someone who has been in and out of treatment for an eating disorder I feel guilty about almost every bite of food I eat. But food waste is another thing I stress about.
oooo…vat grown coffee
anychance they could make it radioactive too?
glow in the dark coffee would be really helpful at 5 am and half asleep
anyways..no guilts about food i eat here…really about the only guilt i feel is if i make a food or drink…and then dont eat or drink it for whatever reason…so wasteful…my bank account is crying
Glow in the dark coffee? Sure, why not?
Swan testicles.
There are only two per swan, and the rest of the meat is too gristly to really enjoy. Plus, the feathers take so much time deal with and the neck meat isn’t very versatile.
Kidding. I’m vegetarian and probably consume far too much coffee and tea. I feel guilty about buying baby greens in those pre-washed bags because the prep process is extremely wasteful. But when I buy leafy kale, chard, and collards from the green market, I also feel guilty about how much water is required to rinse them clean at home. There’s no winning.
Lol, you got me. I was like swan testicles 😬!
Sometimes a bit when I eat chain/fast food, but less about the food itself, and more about not choosing a smaller/local business, and how bad fast food and chains treat their employees (not that smaller places are necessarily better…)
I feel like a lot of other aspects of my life are pretty low-impact (for the meager portion individuals are directly responsible for…), that I don’t think my dietary habits make too much of a difference. I live in a tiny apartment in a city, walk/bike/transit, recycle/compost most of my waste, no kids, don’t travel a lot, don’t really use heating/cooling, etc., etc.
I should probably be a little more conscious about trying to avoid factory-farmed animal flesh, and I’ve heard stuff like quinoa getting popular has been really hard on the populations that have long relied on that as a tradition subsistence crop, etc. But then again, I think that’s less of an individual responsibility sort of thing, and more of a toxic system of capitalism and exploitation…
I’m starting to feel that we are doomed as a society/civilization, and am getting closer and closer to just not caring at all. I realize that’s a dangerous take, but it’s hard to believe we will do anything meaningful for climate change with it’s far-off consequences, when we can’t even be arsed to do the bare minimum for COVID, when we can see people dying rightfuckingnow…
:/