A big surprise in the study was the energy cost of eating fish, which was nearly as large as that of eating red meat.  This was due to the enormous cost of hauling fish in ships.  Among biologists, fish and meat is often considered “cheap protein” for carnivorous animals.  However, the opposite is true for human food production.  For humans, the energy efficiency (energy output divided by energy input) of shrimp protein, for instance, is 0.5%, versus 510% for oats.  Other animal products fall in the 3% range.  Note that this only refers to protein and not other nutrients, for which fruits and vegetables are far more efficient sources.^[2]

The researchers point out that their study does not begin to take into account enormous long term energy costs related to the use of natural resources like water in the course of meat production.  Dr. Eshel concludes, “We say that however close you can be to a vegan diet and further from the [average] diet, the better you are for the planet.”

Caption: Dr. Pamela Martin and Dr. Gidon Eshel of the University of Chicago discuss energy while enjoying a vegetarian meal. << Contents  >> Refer this page to friends