A fascinating new video from ASAPscience considers a future world filled exclusively by vegetarian societies. And the results look — as in most utopian scenarios — pretty good. The ASAP folks are quick to offer (“full disclosure”) that they themselves aren’t vegetarians, aligning them with about 95% of America. (And even with 70% of India, where only about 30% of the population is vegetarian.)
Among the findings is a return of land currently used for grazing to its natural state. This combined with the disappearance of cows, pigs and other livestock (numbering in the billions) would have a salutary effect on climate change. The amount of water saved is also significant in a broadly vegetarian world. But a factor that ASAP says is far “more complicated” is potential unemployment. Raising and processing animal products is “currently a full time job for more than one billion people.” Such a transition would be difficult for the small farmers, which account for most of these billion workers. ASAP also mentions that the speculation is particularly dreamlike as the world is currently moving further away from vegetarianism, not nearer. More countries growing richer has increased the demand for meat.
