It’s not so great to be a Dane anymore.

For the most part, I have no problem with vegetarians. I look at them in the same fashion I look at people who try to swim to Cuba: I admire the commitment, I just don’t understand why. (Contrarily, I do understand why people might swim in the other direction.)

If someone wants to live their life without steak, who am I to judge? I’m a big believer in economic theory, so if the demand for steak decreases, I’ll be able to afford more. Unfortunately, the price of beef shows little evidence of a mass exodus from the carnivore camp.

While most people think of vegetarians as adorable little munchkins who love the animals, there is another wing of vegetarianism that is much darker. Perhaps it’s caused by a lack of B-12, or maybe it’s just because they’re hungry all the time. But sometimes they become quite militant.

The problem starts when vegetarians take on a notion of moral superiority. There is a wing of vegetarians (most often vegans) who think that they are the chosen ones. And such ego is often accompanied by a lust for power. When people assume the are the betters, they often try to shape the world in their image. And they do so without conscience, because they’re only striving to improve the world.

Which is why an article in The Independent is so alarming. Apparently Denmark is considering a red meat tax:

The Danish Council of Ethics recommended an initial tax on beef, with a view to extending the regulation to all red meats in future. It said that in the long term, the tax should apply to all foods at varying levels depending on climate impact.
The council voted in favour of the measures by an overwhelming majority, and the proposal will now be put forward for consideration by the government. (full story)

According to the council, Danes are “ethically obliged” to forgo red meat, and the switch would be “unproblematic”. Which highlights the reason why (despite the rosy picture painted by the Bern-outs) America should never try to imitate Denmark. Here in America, dietary choices are regulated by preferences and appetites, not degrees of technical difficulty.

According to the article, 10% of the greenhouse gases causing climate change come from meat production. But that’s only a third of the 19%-29% contribution from all food production. Which means that we can have an enormous impact on the climate, if we just stop eating.

While fossil fuels are the target of environmentalists today, it’s clear the next step in the war for the climate will be your dinner plate. Four course meals could soon be the next 100 watt incandescent.