In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, Nye discussed carnivores’ contribution to climate change. Asked if shunning meat would be one of the best things people could do for the environment, Nye said that he doesn’t judge people who aren’t vegetarians. What’s more, Nye noted meat is still an essential source of protein in some parts of the world:
“Well, we can all say that here in the developed world where we have the luxury of choice, but if you are in a developing country, you need protein and your agriculture may not be sophisticated enough to provide you the protein. So we’ll see.
“I don’t want to get in the business of judging people who aren’t vegetarians.”
Nye did not even support a meat boycott in America and other developed nations – proposing, instead, what he called a “free-market” solution as a “win-win” for both meat-eaters and the environment: tax “exhaust from the animals”:
“Well, this is what we can do and it’s a win-win: to have a fee on carbon. So if you are raising livestock and producing a lot of carbon dioxide with your farm equipment and the exhaust from the animals, then you would pay a fee on that and it would be reflected in the price of meat, reflected in the price of fish, reflected in the price of peanuts.
“This would be a free-market way to reckon the real cost of a meat diet to the world.”
The problem, Nye says, is that conservatives oppose raising the price of meat, fish and peanuts in this way – because the government would be doing it:
“But, conservatives now are against such a thing because they’re against any regulation, any tax or any government involvement in anything.
“But again, it won’t last, and a carbon fee would be a fantastic thing for the world.”
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Related Links:
Bill Nye Wants to Tax Cow Farts
Bill Nye: Taxing Cow Farts a ‘Fantastic Thing for the World’
