Current Events > Would you eat the bugs 2 days a week to save the planet from climate change?

(+) Yeah! (+)

We're all in this....*crunches cockroach* together.

Lol naw man

I've had chocolate covered bugs (grubs and ants) and it honestly wasn't bad.
Eating whole bugs as part of a meal? Nah.
Chopped up and mixed in/hidden? I'd try it.

im not a big fan of eating bugs tbh but im a very picky eater

Snowpiercer. Floppy bug

There are various regions where they can be prepared to be palettable. They are mostly protein and it is way more humane than sticking chickens in boxes back to back.

The only thing that's keeping it from being a normal food is first world closed mindedness. People take no issue eating shrimp or lobster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMAzWfxsYco

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Proud 'Murrican right here.

No, because it won't do shit for saving the planet. If I'm giving up meat then I'm just eating fruits and vegetables and things like that. Let the assholes at the UN eating fancy meals prepared by world-class chefs eat bugs regularly first. They're telling everyone else to eat bugs, they should lead by example.

PrsdntHeidecker posted...

The only thing that's keeping it from being a normal food is first world closed mindedness. People take no issue eating shrimp or lobster.

Shrimp and lobster aren't insects. It's not first world closed-mindedness, it's called not scraping the bottom of the barrel for food because it's plentiful. Insects generally get introduced to diets through severe starvation. Bugs aren't in most dishes because they typically taste like shit, have horrible texture, and are often a sign of disease and decay in food you actually want to eat.

Or..how about this: get everybody in the world to reduce carbon emissions. There, climate change resolved.

Crescente posted...

Or..how about this: get everybody in the world to reduce carbon emissions. There, climate change resolved.

What a dumb post.

Can I cook them and add whatever seasonings and flavors necessary to make consuming them bearable?

Metal_Bug posted...

Can I cook them and add whatever seasonings and flavors necessary to make consuming them bearable?

I don't see why not.

The few times I've tried them, they're not that bad.

I've had Larvets, which are deep fried beetle larvae in assorted flavors. They kind of taste like pork rinds.

I was a kickstarter for a company called Chapul that made protein bars out of cricket flour. They were actually pretty good. Unfortunately the company no longer makes them; they just sell powder for protein shakes now.

I've also had smoked tarantula, because it was a gift. It basically had the same taste and texture as eating peanut shells.

So yeah, there's no reason why bugs can't be a bigger part of diet.

Eating whole bugs is something I'm not interested in, but ground up into a meal/powder and added/cooked into stuff, already have tried that and it's fine.

PrsdntHeidecker posted...

The only thing that's keeping it from being a normal food is first world closed mindedness. People take no issue eating shrimp or lobster.

Like you do realize shrimp and lobster are not insects right?

t5yvxc posted...

Like you do realize shrimp and lobster are not insects right?

I do realize that, but you and the other guy that think you're geniuses for pointing this out have failed to mention notable differences.

Yeah, they're crustaceans and live in the ocean. There are insects that have reserves of protein on them as well. The differences between them are marginal. You eat shrimp and lobster because it's a social norm, not because one is a crustacean and the other is an insect and anyone civilized draws that line.

Know what would really affect climate change?
Mega corporations being held accountable instead of everyone trying to pin it on people living their day to day lives.

meestermj posted...

Know what would really affect climate change?
Mega corporations being held accountable instead of everyone trying to pin it on people living their day to day lives.

So don't change anything you do since you have the perfect excuse to keep contributing to the problem, right?

The straw that breaks the camels back here is that you guys are mostly in your 30's. The type of mentality I see here was acceptable 20 years ago when you all stopped learning.

Been saying humans should farm bugs like cattle

PrsdntHeidecker posted...

So don't change anything you do since you have the perfect excuse to keep contributing to the problem, right?

The straw that breaks the camels back here is that you guys are mostly in your 30's. The type of mentality I see here was acceptable 20 years ago when you all stopped learning.

Regular day to day activities account for very little of climate change.
Mega Corps are the main, leading contributor and nothing had changed on that front in decades.
It's scapegoating.
"Oh just like...stop having coffee! Paper straws! Paper bags!"
Instead of addressing the massive impact manufacturing has on the world, and all the sanctions/regulations that get regularly skirted or sidestepped.

I'm not repeating myself for you, just adding you to my ignore list.

PrsdntHeidecker posted...

I'm not repeating myself for you, just adding you to my ignore list.

So you're being deliberately ignorant. That's fine.
Discussion is done I guess.

I'm not eating insects for any reason.

PrsdntHeidecker posted...

I do realize that, but you and the other guy that think you're geniuses for pointing this out have failed to mention notable differences.

Yeah, they're crustaceans and live in the ocean. There are insects that have reserves of protein on them as well. The differences between them are marginal. You eat shrimp and lobster because it's a social norm, not because one is a crustacean and the other is an insect and anyone civilized draws that line.

The only one drawing this line is you.

I didn't judge anyone who willingly wants to eat bugs. You or anyone eating bugs literally doesn't affect me.

I dont eat bugs because I don't like bugs period. I dont want them in my house, I dont want them in my food, I dont even want to see one. You do you.

meestermj posted...

Regular day to day activities account for very little of climate change.
Mega Corps are the main, leading contributor and nothing had changed on that front in decades.
It's scapegoating.
"Oh just like...stop having coffee! Paper straws! Paper bags!"
Instead of addressing the massive impact manufacturing has on the world, and all the sanctions/regulations that get regularly skirted or sidestepped.

Factory farming is up there with industry as one of the top contributors though.

No thanks. Plants are healthier anyway and even better for the planet

PrsdntHeidecker posted...

I do realize that, but you and the other guy that think you're geniuses for pointing this out have failed to mention notable differences.

Yeah, they're crustaceans and live in the ocean. There are insects that have reserves of protein on them as well. The differences between them are marginal. You eat shrimp and lobster because it's a social norm, not because one is a crustacean and the other is an insect and anyone civilized draws that line.

You're the one who thinks you're a genius for calling crustaceans insects and acting all smug like "heh, these fools don't even know they're eating insects from the water" even though you're wrong. The differences are *not* marginal. Shrimp and lobster have a lot more meat to them and are much easier to remove the shells of than with bugs. Notice how when people talk about eating actual insects, they want it in a powdered form, deep-fried, heavily seasoned, and/or coated in some way. They're gross and need to be hidden or covered to be palatable.

1337toothbrush posted...

They're gross and need to be hidden or covered to be palatable.

Seems like a weird contention when the same is true of all meat. There are very very few meats that are edible without seasoning.

I don't eat animals.

meestermj posted...

Know what would really affect climate change?
Mega corporations being held accountable instead of everyone trying to pin it on people living their day to day lives.

as long as you have an excuse to do nothing lol

Giblet_Enjoyer posted...

Seems like a weird contention when the same is true of all meat. There are very very few meats that are edible without seasoning.

First off, not really. Second, there's a difference between light seasoning and heavy seasoning. Finally, there's a difference between enhancing the flavor and covering it.

meestermj posted...

Regular day to day activities account for very little of climate change.
Mega Corps are the main, leading contributor and nothing had changed on that front in decades.
It's scapegoating.
"Oh just like...stop having coffee! Paper straws! Paper bags!"
Instead of addressing the massive impact manufacturing has on the world, and all the sanctions/regulations that get regularly skirted or sidestepped.

This has always been an ignorant argument because it ignores the fact that those manufacturers only meet market demands. They don't exist in a vacuum and shouldn't be evaluated as though they do -- they pollute to precisely the extent that YOU demand that they do.

I don't get why righties are so obsessed with eating bugs lol

i dont understand why i couldnt just continue to eat plants

ranagrande posted...

I've also had smoked tarantula, because it was a gift. It basically had the same taste and texture as eating peanut shells.

I dunno if this is supposed to be praise or not lol

Giblet_Enjoyer posted...

This has always been an ignorant argument because it ignores the fact that those manufacturers only meet market demands. They don't exist in a vacuum and shouldn't be evaluated as though they do -- they pollute to precisely the extent that YOU demand that they do.

Nah, *your* argument has always been the ignorant one because it ignores the fact that those manufacturers don't have to meet market demands in the most wasteful way possible. Companies would rather throw away food than give any excess for free and yet they keep producing in great excess because we do not charge them for their waste.

Also, take methane emissions from cows, for an example of what's considered a problem. Simply incorporating seaweed in their diet would cut that down tremendously:
https://time.com/6119791/seaweed-cows-methane-emissions/

"In 2020 Australian researchers found that replacing 3% of a cows diet with a type of seaweed native to Australia resulted in up to an 80% decrease in methane emissions."

Background_Guy posted...

I don't get why righties are so obsessed with eating bugs lol

Dumb talking point to mock and minimize climate change, which they deny.

PrsdntHeidecker posted...

You eat shrimp and lobster because it's a social norm,

This is the salient point in this post and something that needs to be mentioned constantly tbh. Discussion of bug eating is purely an asinine culture war pissing contest 99.9% of the time with no actual reasonings given against it, and people are only averse to it because of their conditioning. No different from calling someone a soy boy, or having a problem with dog meat but not pork. Just another kneejerk reaction to perceived oppression by some nebulous forces-that-be

1337toothbrush posted...

the fact that those manufacturers don't have to meet market demands in the most wasteful way possible

That isn't a fact though, you made it up just now on the spot to try to make a point.

kirbymuncher posted...

I dunno if this is supposed to be praise or not lol

It depends. How much do you like eating peanut shells? No nuts, just the shells.

Giblet_Enjoyer posted...

That isn't a fact though, you made it up just now on the spot to try to make a point.

https://www.usda.gov/foodwaste/faqs

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/climate/natural-gas-flaring-exxon-bp.html

and it's well-known that companies scream about having to implement simple emissions control systems and having to control their pollution. Sorry you stick your head in the sand.

I think TC is saying would you eat bugs if it stopped climate change not that eating bugs would actually do anything

1337toothbrush posted...

https://www.usda.gov/foodwaste/faqs

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/climate/natural-gas-flaring-exxon-bp.html

and it's well-known that companies scream about having to implement simple emissions control systems and having to control their pollution. Sorry you stick your head in the sand.

The fact is that you don't actually care about their waste to stop supporting them though, and neither does anyone else. You just stick your head in the sand, as you just projected onto me.

The fault lies with the consumer just as much as the manufacturers. The difference in the weight of your (in)actions and theirs is a function of circumstance, not philosophy. To put it bluntly: be less shit before you expect others to be less shit.

I mean... I'd just have a vegetarian diet two days a week instead of eating bugs.

hakuna matata

Giblet_Enjoyer posted...

The fact is that you don't actually care about their waste to stop supporting them though, and neither does anyone else. You just stick your head in the sand, as you just projected onto me.

The fault lies with the consumer just as much as the manufacturers. The difference in the weight of your (in)actions and theirs is a function of circumstance, not philosophy. To put it bluntly: be less shit before you expect others to be less shit.

Hahahaha! You're bringing out all the greatest hits of corporate ass-kissing. Are you reading from a pamphlet? You don't have as much of a consumer choice as you think. Go ahead and personally pay more to the companies doing the right thing, too bad they'll be driven out of business by the other businesses cutting corners and outcompeting them sooner or later. It's a systemic problem which cannot simply be solved through individual action. Placing the blame on individuals is how corporations wash their hands of the problem and you're happily lathering them up.

We can all die for all I care. Im not eating fucking bugs.