Welcome from the editor: no time to waste

Welcome and thank you for joining me this weekend.

We are all guilty of recidivism, of not learning our lessons the first time around, and making the same mistake all over again. Some of us eventually face facts, others get stuck in a loop, encountering the same challenges yet again. But when it comes to our beautiful planet earth and its wonderful and diverse inhabitants – human and animal – there’s no more time to waste. To cite Mike Berners-Lee, there’s no planet B.

People are aware of the climate emergency, and many are very concerned about it, yet few make conscious lifestyle choices to help to put an end to what – unfortunately – sometimes looks like the inexorable demise of our planet. Temperatures keep rising, food insecurity is a reality, yet meat consumption is up. What will it take for humanity to make much needed changes, at governmental and personal level? We investigate in Time’s up: reaching ‘peak meat’ and shifting to plant-based is no longer an option, but a need.

Doing our bit doesn’t necessarily mean giving up everything for the rest of our lives. Small changes make a difference. If you are thinking of cutting down on your meat, fish and cheese consumption, perhaps even just once or twice a week, our feature What are the best plant-based protein sources? will help you navigate the vegan food sector and provide you with sustainable, healthy and delicious choices.

Is processed food, plant- or animal-based bad for us? Just by simply cooking food we process it, so not all processed food is the same. So why are some types linked to ill health? We dig deeper in How strong is the link between processed food and obesity?

Time to make a change is of the essence, but the good news is, changes can happen right now. There’s no need to wait.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

Stef