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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Comfortably Unaware summary
Richard A. Oppenlander
What We Choose to Eat is Killing Us and Our Planet
13 mins
Brief summary
"Comfortably Unaware" by Richard A. Oppenlander is a thought-provoking book that challenges our food choices and their impact on the planet. It showcases how shifting to a plant-based diet can help save the environment and ourselves.
Table of Contents
Comfortably Unaware
Summary of 6 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 6
What you eat has a direct impact on global warming and environmental depletion.
Did Al Gore’s book on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, inspire you to use less water and electricity and start taking public transportation? If so, that’s great, but unfortunately, you’ve only tackled part of the problem.
If we really want to stop global warming we have to start caring more about what we eat, especially when it comes to meat, fish and dairy.
Global warming is triggered by an increase in the earth’s temperature as a result of humans releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases are mostly made up of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
Between 1750 and 2006, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rose 35 percent. And in just the last 15 years, methane has increased by 145 percent. This is more troubling since methane is far more powerful than carbon dioxide, having 23 times the impact on global warming.
So what is causing this rise in methane? It is primarily related to the increase in livestock.
Approximately 40 percent of methane generated by human activity comes from raising livestock. And to make matters worse, livestock also accounts for 65 percent of the nitrous oxide we generate – a gas that has 310 times more of an impact on global warming than carbon dioxide!
But global warming is only one piece of a larger problem known as global depletion: the point at which the earth’s renewable and non-renewable resources start to disappear.
But even renewable resources, such as trees, can take hundreds of years to mature in great enough numbers for us to use them again. And unfortunately, at the rate we are using our natural resources, we’re not giving nature the time it needs to restore itself.
In the blinks that follow, we’ll see how the food industry is pushing us to global depletion.
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What is Comfortably Unaware about?
Comfortably Unaware (2012) is about the impact our food choices are having on the planet. It explains how the animals that are raised for us to eat end up polluting our waters, soil and air, and why our natural resources are poorly managed.
Comfortably Unaware Review
Comfortably Unaware (2011) sheds light on the impact of our food choices on the planet's health and urges readers to consider a more sustainable way of eating. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Packed with eye-opening facts and comprehensive data, it challenges conventional wisdom and encourages critical thinking.
- Presenting a global perspective on the sustainability crisis, it provides a holistic understanding of the interconnectedness between our food choices and environmental issues.
- The book's thought-provoking narrative and empowering message inspire readers to take action and make a positive impact on the planet.
Best quote from Comfortably Unaware
When the well is dry, we know the worth of water. – Benjamin Franklin
—Richard A. Oppenlander
Who should read Comfortably Unaware?
- Meat and fish eaters
- People who want to become environmentally conscious
- Anyone who wants to understand the impact of our daily choices
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Comfortably Unaware FAQs
What is the main message of Comfortably Unaware?
The main message of Comfortably Unaware is to raise awareness about the environmental and ethical consequences of food choices.
How long does it take to read Comfortably Unaware?
Reading Comfortably Unaware takes a few hours, but the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Comfortably Unaware a good book? Is it worth reading?
Comfortably Unaware is an eye-opening and thought-provoking book. It provides valuable insights and encourages conscious decision-making. Highly recommended!
Who is the author of Comfortably Unaware?
The author of Comfortably Unaware is Richard A. Oppenlander.
What to read after Comfortably Unaware?
If you're wondering what to read next after Comfortably Unaware, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
- Should We Eat Meat? by Vaclav Smil
- Adventures in the Anthropocene by Gaia Vince
- The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma
- Drawdown by Paul Hawken (ed.)
- The School of Life by Alain de Botton and The School of Life
- The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
- The Wealth Money Can't Buy by Robin Sharma
- Focal Point by Brian Tracy
- Either/Or by Soren Kierkegaard