近年來素食主義倡導者大力宣傳素食的環保效應，稱吃素食不僅環保，還能拯救地球。然而科學家最近表示，純素并不能更環保，肉類對地球生物至關重要。

Meat is crucial for feeding the planet, leading scientists have said, as they warned it is not more environmentally-friendly to go vegan.

知名科學家說，在給地球生物提供食物方面，肉類至關重要。他們警告說，純素并不會更環保。

vegan[?vi?ɡ?n]：adj.嚴格的素食主義的

Experts from the University of Edinburgh and Scotland’s Rural College said farmers were increasingly feeling demonised by the unsupported ‘meat is evil’ claims being promoted by environmental lobbyists.

愛丁堡大學和蘇格蘭農村學院的專家說，環保游說人士鼓吹未經證實的“肉是邪惡的”言論，讓農民日益感到自己被妖魔化。

demonise['di:m?naiz]：vt.使成為魔鬼

Speaking at a panel in central London, they argued that meat was critical for the physical and mental health of children, particularly in developing countries, and said that moving away from livestock farming would not improve land use.

他們在倫敦市中心舉行的一個專題小組討論會上發言，認為肉類對兒童身心健康至關重要，特別是在發展中國家。他們說，放棄畜牧業并不能改善土地使用狀況。

Prof. Geoff Simm, Director of Global Academy Agriculture and Food Security at the University of Edinburgh, said: “I think (livestock farmers) do feel they are being demonised.

愛丁堡大學全球農業和糧食安全學院主任杰夫·西姆教授說：“我認為（畜牧業者）的確覺得自己在被妖魔化。”

“Often the argument is made that going vegan would minimise land use, and the modelling studies that have been done demonstrate that that’s not the case.

他說：“常有人聲稱，純素能將土地使用降至最低水平，而已有的模型研究表明，情況并非如此。”

“We feel that while livestock production has a range of economic, social and environmental costs and benefits, the costs have perhaps been receiving far more attention recently than some of the benefits.

他說：“我們認為，盡管畜牧生產在經濟、社會和環境方面有著眾多成本及益處，但其成本最近受到的關注可能遠超某些益處。”

“Meat has massive social benefits. It’s an important source of dietary protein, energy, highly bioavailable micronutrients, even small amounts of animal-sourced food have a really important effect on the development of children, in the developing world on their cognitive and physical development and they are really important.”

他說：“肉類有著巨大的社會效益。它是膳食中蛋白質、能量、高生物利用度的微量營養素的重要來源，即使是少量動物源性食品，對發展中國家兒童的認知和身體發育都有著非常重要的影響，非常重要。”

Prof Mike Coffey, from Scotland’s Rural College, added: “It’s completely unnecessary to go vegan.

蘇格蘭農村學院的邁克·科菲教授補充說：“純素完全沒有必要。”

“If everybody went vegan it would be devastating for the UK environment. Animals bred for food help boost biodiversity.”

他說：“如果每個人都成為純素主義者，將對英國環境造成毀滅性影響。飼養動物供人食用有助于促進生物多樣性。”

Researchers are currently attempting to breed more environmentally friendly cattle, which grow faster and eat less, which could further reduce the sector’s carbon footprint by reducing the amount of methane released by cows.

研究人員目前正試圖養殖更環保的牛，它們長得較快、吃得較少，可以通過減少牛排放的甲烷量來進一步減少該行業的碳足跡。

Prof Coffey said that the difference in methane emissions from best and worst cattle was about 30 percent and that if all UK farmers used the most efficient animals this could reduce carbon emissions by nearly a third.

科菲教授說，最好的牛和最差的牛的甲烷排放量相差約30%，如果所有英國農民都使用最高效的牛，能使碳排放量減少近三分之一。

But Prof Coffey said the next stage will be trying to measure the methane given off by different breeds of cattle to find which are the lowest emitters.

科菲教授說，下一階段將測量不同種類的牛釋放的甲烷，找出哪些牛排放甲烷最少。

Prof Coffey said that soon shoppers could be able to check meat labels to find out how much environmental impact their food has had.

科菲教授說，消費者很快就可以通過查看肉類標簽，了解他們的食品對環境有多大影響。

He added: “My expectation is that at some point in the near future there will be product labels that relates to the efficiency or carbon impact of the food.”

他還說：“我預計在不久的將來，會有與食品的效率或碳影響有關的產品標簽出現。”

Professor Andrea Wilson, also of Edinburgh University, said more research was needed into the impact of veganism.

同樣在愛丁堡大學供職的安德烈婭·威爾遜教授說，需要對純素主義的影響進行更多研究。

She added: “We know a lot about the livestock sector because people have looked at it. We actually know very little about the vegan sector.

她還說：“我們對畜牧業了解頗多，因為人們對它有過研究。我們對純素行業實際上知之甚少。

“The danger is we demonise one and jump too quickly to the other.”

她說：“危險在于，我們將一方妖魔化，而且太快地轉向另一方。”

英文來源：每日電訊報、參考消息網

編輯：yaning