What a whirlwind 24 hours. On Monday, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting that reducing his meat consumption was his personal contribution to tackling climate change – while acknowledging that this was probably negated by all his air travelling.
The same could be said of most of us: Ireland produces the fifth most carbon-efficient beef in the EU, but we have the fifth most carbon-intensive transport habits.
Less than 24 hours of backlash later, Leo revealed that he had followed his earlier statement with “a very nice Hereford steak”.
“I’m very happy to eat fish landed in Donegal, and poultry, and turkeys, and porkmeat, and all of the wonderful products that Irish farmers of all sorts produce,” he told the Dáil on Tuesday, assuring TDs that he had not turned vegan.
At that point, the Taoiseach’s menu was giving me the meat sweats, but I was relieved for him: as guest of honour at the upcoming IFA AGM, I’m reliably informed he will be served steak again.
“I was trying to eat less red meat for two reasons: one, health; the other, climate change,” he said.
“It’s not flippant. It is a fact that red meat increases instances of cancer and contributes more to climate change.”
So it took our leader just one day to turn his back on the vegan fad beloved of trendy urban voters, and realise that a balanced, locally sourced diet is best for you and the environment.
In Ireland, that’s unlikely to be based on anything to do with avocados.
I wish others could see sense as quickly.
Taoiseach cuts own meat consumption and outlines carbon tax plans