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Why is Mankind Obsessed with Meat? | Marta Zaraska | TEDxBocconiU

2,882 views · Published 6 September 2017 · 15:29 · Indexed 21 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2017 · Nonprofits & Activism

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If humanity truly wanted to solve its climate change woes, we should stop eating meat overnight. Of all greenhouse gases, 14.5% comes from livestock - about the same as emissions from all of transportation combined. And yet we don't want to give up meat. Why? In my talk I'll present several reasons for why most people don’t want to stop eating meat. Among them are protein hunger, meat's unique taste, symbolism of meat, our psychological wiring, industry lobbying. I believe that without understanding the reasons behind humanity's obsession with meat, it will be hard to convince the vast majority of people to reduce consumption of animal protein, even though such reduction is necessary for the sake of our planet. Marta Zaraska is a Polish-Canadian currently living in France. She is a science journalist published in the Washington Post, Scientific American, the Atlantic, etc. She is author of Meathooked: The History and Science of Our 2.5-Million-Year Obsession with Meat, which was published by Basic Books in 2016. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

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