Bacon Will Save The World: Lab Grown Pork Could Slash Carbon Emissions
In five-years time you might find yourself chewing on a petri-dish grown Hot Dog, or some lab-bred bacon as scientists succeed in growing pork in a laboratory for the first time. This is huge news: most notably from a climate change and animal rights perspective. In-Vitro meat would lead to a huge reduction in agriculture related emissions if successful, and PETA are on side too: “As far as we’re concerned, if meat is no longer a piece of a dead animal there’s no ethical objection.”
This may be the ultimate way to sustainably grow meat. The scientists explain that while the meat is developing from sticky muscle tissue, it must be exercised in order to produce a steak like consistency. Scientists of this latest study claim not to have tasted the meat grown from cells taken from a live pig, but I read an article earlier this year about other scientists sneaking a taste of some lab-cultured beef, and enjoying it.
This isn't the first time we've messed with nature in order to produce a better meal — we've been modifying the cow genome for the last few thousand years. Hundreds of scientists collaborated on a study to discover how a cow's genome has been sculpted by natural selection over the last 60 million years, and examined how man has, in the last ten thousands years, done a better job than nature at "enhancing" the job. Now, taking that one step further by doing away with most animals could mean huge saves on emissions and lead to huge animal welfare benefits. The cold steel surfaces of labs aren't quite as appealing at the romantic idea of raising and killing your own organic livestock on your own farm, but with a little more development this could be a realistic solution for a world that wants to eat meat.
COMMENTS (7)