[TACIXAT]

Efficiency isn't really an argument that is going to get people to change their preferences. Case in point, Electron apps. Even if beef becomes the Electron of the food world, you know a ton of people are still going to consume it.

[moreranchplease]

You don't think water shortages will change people's preferences?

[seisvelas]

No. I live in Mexico City, where it is not unheard of for the government to outright cut off the city water supply for days to account for shortages.

People's preferences haven't changed. Beef continues to be very popular, as do public fountains. The choice not to consume meat (at least here) is mostly associated with pretentious, upperclass people who like yoga and are keenly interested in social justice (there is even a word for this type of person: fresas, which literally means strawberries but here means, well, that type of person).

Eating or not eating meat is more about adopting cultural, class, and identity signifiers than any real correlation with the local water situation.

[defterGoose]

So what you're saying is that continuing your current beef consumption is a neutral activity, while trying to cut back due to environmental impact is simply virtue signalling? Maybe the people trying to cut back are ahead of the curve. Maybe those people realize that if the worst effects of climate change and population growth come to pass, that cutting back now could mean the impact on beef supply in the future is mitigated. I guess, in that case, the "unpretentious, lower class people who hate yoga" would have those tree huggers to thank.

Peoples' preference for war hasn't changed either (most people don't want it), but we still find ourselves in conflict at every turn. That's because you can't go too long without confronting the objective physical reality of scarcity of resources.

[seisvelas]

>is simply virtue signalling

No, more like life style participation.

>I guess, in that case, the "unpretentious, lower class people who hate yoga" would have those tree huggers to thank.

We need many countries to make national-level policies about this. The Instagram people are a smug drop in the bucket.

>we still find ourselves in conflict at every turn. That's because you can't go too long without confronting the objective physical reality of scarcity of resources.

That correlation seems made up. Has there been an increase of scarcity-driven wars? Most wartorn places don't seem to be resource scarce.

[dsalso]

Thank you for prolonging my enjoyment of meat then! I now feel like the celebrities promoting cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions while flying private jets all over the world. At least someone is getting to enjoy themselves.

[wcoenen]

Higher efficiency should eventually result in a lower price, as mentioned in the article. Prices do affect consumer behavior.

[TACIXAT]

Give me insect protein or give me death!