As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise many people are looking for an easy one-size-fits-all solution to our climate problem. One of the trendiest options is going vegan. Over recent years people have raised questions about the impact of eating massive amounts of meat and suggested that everyone going vegan could solve our climate crisis.

So, what’s the real environmental impact of our meat, and can going vegan really save the environment?

Many are concerned about the amount of water and food it takes to produce a pound of beef, but the reality is a typical cow’s water footprint is 94% green water. This means that 94% of a cow’s water footprint is just rainwater, and of course, once that water is used it’s not gone forever. It’s urinated out and cycled back into the environment. In fact, almonds end up using less green water than beef.

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Additionally, many are worried about the amount of food it takes to produce a pound of beef. Couldn’t we be feeding more people with all that food? More than 85% of livestock feed is non-human edible, and in the end, 4.3 billion kilograms of non-human edible food gets fed to livestock.

In a recent “What I’ve Learned” video the narrator goes into many of the common problems with the carbon footprint of our meat and why it’s actually more nuanced than you might think.

At the end of the day, the government and big businesses need to be held responsible for their role in destroying the environment. The role of fixing the environment does not fall on the individual consumer, but rather, the producer. If you’re curious about how eating sustainable agriculture stacks up against going vegan check out this article.

It seems more and more common every day that our social time is spent with a device in our hands rather than talking to each other face to face. After a year of Covid-19 it seems our connections are more digital than ever before.

Image credit: Tanya and Addison 2014

Eric Pickersgill, a US photographer recently created a photo series titled “Removed”. The series depicts portraits of people posed with their electronic devices removed from their hands. The series is meant to remind us how strange it is to sit on our devices in the company of others. Take away the devices and what do we look like? The reality is we look disconnected and oftentimes sad.

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In each portrait, electronic devices have been “edited out” (removed before the photo was taken, from people who’d been using them) so that people stare at their hands, or the empty space between their hands, often ignoring beautiful surroundings or opportunities for human connection. The results are a bit sad and eerie—and a reminder, perhaps, to put our phones away.

Photographer Removes Our Smartphones to Show Our Strange and Lonely New World

CDC director Rochelle Walensky said on Friday in a white house briefing that the CDC recommends pregnant women get the Covid-19 shot. Walensky cited a CDC analysis of more than 35,000 women vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna’s shot, who saw no increases in the risk of complications, premature delivery, miscarriage, or other issues.

Despite Walensky’s comments, the CDC’s online guidelines for pregnant women getting the vaccine remains as follows:

Based on how these vaccines work in the body, experts believe they are unlikely to pose a risk for people who are pregnant. However, there are currently limited data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people.

Pregnancy or Breastfeeding

Pregnant women are eligible to receive the vaccine despite pregnant women not being included in any trials for any of the three available vaccines.

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In the new beyond meat national ad for the “We Are Meat” campaign advertisers say “You’ll find this meat wherever you buy meat”. The impossible burger is made from soy protein, coconut oil, and other plant-based ingredients and it’s one of the best imitation meat substitutes on the market, according to consumers.

Of course, it’s not real meat. So, should advertisers really refer to it as such? When asked if the company felt that the Impossible Burger qualified as meat, Rachel Konrad, chief communications officer said “Yes we do. Anatomically, molecule for molecule our product and our product uniquely has the secret sauce of what makes meat, meat.”

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It’s a compelling argument. If a food looks just like meat at the molecular level—a claim The Counter can’t independently confirm, by the way—can’t it simply be called “meat,” regardless of its origin?

In a new ad campaign, Impossible Foods calls its plant-based burger “meat.” Can it do that?

This is in reference to soy leghemoglobin, the company’s soy-based hemoglobin, which makes blood red, giving the Impossible’s ground beef the ability to “bleed” like real meat.

The FTC says in their “Deception Statement” that a product can be deceptive if it contains a “material omission or misrepresentation” that may mislead consumers “to their detriment”. There are currently no FDA regulations for plant-based meat advertising language.

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Black women are significantly more likely to experience miscarriage than white women. The Lancet analysis of more than 4.6 million pregnancies in seven countries shows that black women are 43% more likely to have a pregnancy end in miscarriage.

The analysis calls for people in the UK to be given support after their first miscarriage. Currently, women are only referred to specialists after three consecutive miscarriages.

About 75% of those who miscarry will go on to have a healthy pregnancy, which is partly why couples are usually encouraged to try for another baby without further investigations.

Miscarriage rates over 40% higher in black women, study suggests

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While most countries do not collect statistics on miscarriages, it’s estimated 15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage and 1% of women have multiple miscarriages. The analysis used research from Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, all countries that do collect statistics on miscarriages. Data from the US, UK, Canada, and Norway were also used.

Women who suffer miscarriages are more likely to have long-term health problems later in life like blot clots and heart disease. Being under 20 or over 40, being underweight or overweight, smoking, and high alcohol intake are all said to be contributing factors to increasing miscarriage risk.

Former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb has said he believes it’s time to do away with outdoor mask mandates at this time. “People could choose to wear a mask if they want to. I think there shouldn’t be requirements that they have to wear masks outdoors,” said Gottlieb on Monday. Gottlieb currently serves on the board of Pfizer.

Dr. Anthony Fauci has agreed with Gottlieb’s statements, saying “What I believe… the country is going to be hearing soon if updated guidelines from the CDC”. President Biden is expected to announce new CDC guidelines as early as this week. The CDC currently says the following about masks outdoors:

Masks may not be necessary when you are outside by yourself away from others, or with people who live in your household. However, some areas may have mask mandates while out in public, so please check the rules in your local area (such as in your city, county, or state). Additionally, check whether any

Guidance for Wearing Masks

Related: Natural Coronavirus Prevention

Current coronavirus infection rates are down 14% from one week ago. The risk of transmitting coronavirus outdoors is extremely low. Additionally, vitamin D has been shown to help prevent the coronavirus, so the more fresh air we can all get, the better.

ADHD is a defined as a “persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development”. Anywhere from 5-7% of children are diagnosed with ADHD making it one of the most common childhood disorders.

Today it seems as if any child who has trouble focusing is almost immediately diagnosed with ADHD. This isn’t necessarily a good thing. New research in the JAMA Network open shows that increases in ADHD diagnoses may be largely due to children with “normal but frustrating” behavior. Children who are younger within their grade are more likely to be diagnoses with ADHD. Often children who have difficulty focusing or finishing tasks in a traditional classroom environment are labeled as ADHD.

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Overdiagnosis of ADHD takes away resources from kids who may benefit more from extra support.

In the US, for example, almost half of all children diagnosed with ADHD have mild symptoms, with only around 15% presenting with severe problems. Only about 1% of all children in an Italian study had severe ADHD-related behaviours. And, in general, children today are no more hyperactive or inattentive than 20 years ago.

More kids are being diagnosed with ADHD for borderline (yet challenging) behaviours. Our new research shows why that’s a worry

An increase in ADHD diagnosis is also resulting in an increase in medicated children. More children are taking prescriptions than ever before, prescriptions, that in the long run do more harm than good.