Comments on: Meat to be grown in labs, if science keeps messing with stuff http://stevensande.com/habitofwonder/2005/08/13/meat-to-be-grown-in-labs-if-science-keeps-messing-with-stuff/ Moments in an imaginary age Thu, 20 Nov 2008 07:57:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5 by: Pieter Baekeland http://stevensande.com/habitofwonder/2005/08/13/meat-to-be-grown-in-labs-if-science-keeps-messing-with-stuff/#comment-36 Fri, 19 Aug 2005 14:32:30 -0700 http://stevensande.com/habitofwonder/2005/08/13/meat-to-be-grown-in-labs-if-science-keeps-messing-with-stuff/#comment-36 This looks like a good idee. But I wonder, what would the energy and cost balance look like ? Is it cheaper to produce meat from one cell ? How much energy do you consume to produce one kilo of meat ? A life cycel analysis, THAT 's what most people and researches are ignoring. In Europe for example, the Green Boys promoted the use of glass bottles instead of PET bottles. They say it is better for the environment. It is not. A glass bottle consumes more energy (up to 115%) than a plastic bottle. Think about transport cost and hopefully you will say : ach... This looks like a good idee. But I wonder, what would the energy and cost balance look like ? Is it cheaper to produce meat from one cell ? How much energy do you consume to produce one kilo of meat ? A life cycel analysis, THAT ’s what most people and researches are ignoring. In Europe for example, the Green Boys promoted the use of glass bottles instead of PET bottles. They say it is better for the environment. It is not. A glass bottle consumes more energy (up to 115%) than a plastic bottle. Think about transport cost and hopefully you will say : ach…

]]> by: Steven Sande http://stevensande.com/habitofwonder/2005/08/13/meat-to-be-grown-in-labs-if-science-keeps-messing-with-stuff/#comment-38 Fri, 19 Aug 2005 18:25:04 -0700 http://stevensande.com/habitofwonder/2005/08/13/meat-to-be-grown-in-labs-if-science-keeps-messing-with-stuff/#comment-38 The glass bottle example---yes. It's a mistake to think that the most ethical solution to any social problem is always whichever one causes us the most hassle. I wonder if the vegetarians who think that eating lab-grown meat must <em>still</em> be wrong are operating under this reflex. (I don't know who's worse, a hedonist or someone who believes that pain is inherently virtuous. At least the former is more fun to be around.) Nevertheless, I believe that with what we are coming to know about animals (e.g., that cows hold grudges, have peer groups, and experience joy) should make us reexamine how we coexist with them. The glass bottle example—yes. It’s a mistake to think that the most ethical solution to any social problem is always whichever one causes us the most hassle. I wonder if the vegetarians who think that eating lab-grown meat must still be wrong are operating under this reflex. (I don’t know who’s worse, a hedonist or someone who believes that pain is inherently virtuous. At least the former is more fun to be around.)

Nevertheless, I believe that with what we are coming to know about animals (e.g., that cows hold grudges, have peer groups, and experience joy) should make us reexamine how we coexist with them.

]]>