Connecting the Dots between Diet and Global Depletion

When I thought I was hosting the SuperBowl 50 gathering at my home, I told friends they didn't need to bring anything.  I'd make a chili, dips,and cake, and it could all be meat-free because I'd just seen Cowspiracy, showing how livestock is the number one cause of global depletion.

They opted to have the gathering somewhere else.  Since I was traveling on BART, someone else brought the chili, and it was vegan and delicious.

But her husband felt the need to "taunt" me with a photograph of steaks.  I'm not sure whether it was to repel me or tempt me, but I figured it gave me license to show him the article of Arnold Schwarzenegger speaking out at the COP21 in Paris:  "Eat less meat."

Why was he the only one who brought up the topic at all?

Anyway, both before and after that  I've written in response to a couple of journalists:

From: Tina Martin [mailto:tina_martin@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2016 8:23 AM
To: Kauffman, Jonathan
Subject: The Perennial

Dear Mr. Kauffman,

I read your article about the Perennial Restaurant with great interest.  It seems incredible that a restaurant serving meat could say it's for zero waste.  Even grass-fed livestock  are unsustainable.

Hasn't this brought up any debate or comments?

An admiring reader,

Tina Martin 

I really appreciated his prompt and thoughtful response:

From: Kauffman, Jonathan [mailto:jkauffman@sfchronicle.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 3, 2016 9:22 AM
To: Tina Martin
Subject: RE: The Perennial

Hi, Tina —

Thanks for your email! You know, Anthony and Karen think about that a lot. I think their goal is not necessarily eliminating waste, but to reduce their carbon emissions. The ranching practices that Stemple Creek Ranch, their beef supplier, supports may actually turn the land into a carbon sink. (You can read more specifics about it: http://www.theperennialsf.com/projects-1/)

I’d certainly agree that avoiding meat altogether is the most environmentally beneficial stance — and I don’t think Karen or Anthony would disagree — but they’re also trying to make this a successful restaurant rather than purely an ideological one, and for that I think they have decided to serve meat.

Jonathan

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Jonathan Kauffman

Staff writer, San Francisco Chronicle

E: jkauffman@sfchronicle.com

P: 415.777.7631

T: @jonkauffman

I thanked him and got his help in locating the article praising the chefs of Paris--shortly after they'd failed to offer enough vegetarian fare at the COP 21 so that vegans and vegetarians had the startling experience of having to go hungry in a country known for its cuisine.