3 ms·
Eating from a lower trophic level is generally more efficient than eating from a higher one.
by the_gastropod 7y ago
Eating from a lower trophic level is generally more efficient than eating from a higher one.
- pbhjpbhj 7y agoI thought it was the other way, that the further up the food chain the more concentrated nutrients were and the higher the energy density. Eating a cube of lamb is more efficient than eating grass, surely?
- belltaco 7y agoMore efficient if you're starving and need some calories immediately without having to gather grass. Not efficient in terms of environmental resources invested. How much grass being eaten by the lamb resulted in a pound of lamb? How much water did the lamb consumer per pound of weight? From the article: >a plant-based burger generates 90% less greenhouse gas emissions, requires 45% less energy, has 99% less impact on water scarcity, and 93% less impact on land use than a ¼ pound of traditional U.S. beef.
- viklove 7y agoUnfortunately some plants like rice are worse than livestock. Rice cultivation produces significant amounts of methane, which is a greenhouse gas worse than carbon dioxide itself.