This session, led with a short talk by Marco Springmann from the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food and followed by open, table-based discussion on the topic, asks to what extent individual humans and social groups have a responsibility to look after our planet’s health.

Are we even capable of destroying the Earth? Or just human life? Could we do so if we don’t change the way we eat?

As human populations and wealth increase, so does our meat consumption. But meat, a concentrated source of essential nutrients, is also increasing our risk of health problems such as cancer, using up more land and freshwater than any other human activity, and polluting our planet with nitrogen, phosphorus, and methane – chemicals that affect biodiversity and propel global warming.

In light of these largescale negative impacts on the environment, Marco Springman argues for a dietary-change approach to stimulating environmental change and outlines a suite of interventions to influence food selection.

The Gaia theory claims that the earth is self-regulating, evolving alongside us and keeping conditions optimal for life. However, others believe that we humans are a powerful influence over the Earth, with the ability to damage it irreparably.

This session is presented in collaboration with Philosophy in Pubs http://philosophyinpubs.co.uk/

Read Marco Springman’s research here.