Nicholas D. Carter

🌳Director of Environmental Science | Game Changers Institute 📚
Research Fellow | Project Drawdown
🌱Co-founder

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

Out today, my analysis of animal agriculture’s disinformation campaigns over the past few years that has influenced public opinion, policy, and continues to delay the major changes we need.
‼️
Full Report: https://t.co/gicWv89Cs7
⬇️
Coverage:
https://t.co/fEqvarqVOl

[Institute for Future Food Systems @Iffs_Earth]

Out now, our launch report!

At COP30 next week dozens of panels will discuss regenerative grazing. We've compiled the best science on the topic and compared grazing vs. plant-based with rewilding.

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

Repeated exposure made people more willing to share fake news. A quick accuracy reminder before sharing erased this effect.

Small design changes on social media could sharply reduce misinfo.

New study based on experiments with over 4,000 participants:
https://t.co/mNUjA2hMvT

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

70% of Americans regard misinformation as a major threat

Addressing it does not limit free speech, it's about penalizing liars, grifters, & industry tactics

The majority of research on misinfo has no partisan agenda & no relationship to censorship:
https://t.co/IZfXqnmaDY

[Der Pragmaticus @derpragmaticus]

Ein Kilo getrocknete Erbsen müsste etwa 100 Mal um die Welt transportiert werden, bevor seine Treibhausgasemissionen denen eines Kilos Rindfleisch aus der Region entsprechen. Weshalb @NicholasDCarter Regionalität als Marketinglüge sieht: https://t.co/69QihbLuFU. .

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

Nobody is immune to misinformation.

But...

In a new study of 66k people across 24 countries, conservatives had the lowest ability to spot misinfo. Education mattered too & Gen Z scored lowest across all age groups: https://t.co/gjxkm7XAWs

Good coverage: https://t.co/olVXEBSdrG

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

More than ever, we need to empower all to be able to evaluate evidence, seek truth, & spot manipulation.

Deceiving the public is antidemocratic. Countering disinformation is not a threat to free speech; it's a response to unchecked industry propaganda.

https://t.co/9Bwpu59cEU

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

A must-read on how "maximum sustainable yield" became the go-to for governments & academics alike - driving huge ocean wildlife extraction beyond levels we'd accept for other wild animals.

As always by @Unpop_Science it's extensively sourced & researched:
https://t.co/136H8vbT3o

[spencer 🦈 @Unpop_Science]

We have been lied to by the fishing industry.

This is one of the greatest scandals of our age, comparable to big oil’s denial of climate change.

Global fishing regulations are based on a pseudoscience designed to justify cutting the world’s fish populations in half.

My latest:

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

94% of certified sustainable seafood comes from industrial fleets, with 2/3 of MSC catch from huge trawlers

In 2024, MSC made $42M - 93% from logo licensing - capitalizing a rise from a few MSC fisheries in 2000 to now 17% of global catch with 3x revenue

https://t.co/nqPfcF0TNV

[Kenny Torrella @KennyTorrella]

A newly surfaced document reveals how the beef industry knew about its role in climate change as early as 1989, and crafted a plan to fight back against environmentalists & potential regulation: https://t.co/zri1AxQEHb

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

Two new papers covering all this in detail:
https://t.co/uiWnNsMCVI
https://t.co/U8BXf8v9Ke #BeefKnew

My full thread with calculations & key takeaways on the other place (🟦🦋) - same username.

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

In the '90s, Big Beef killed momentum to shift ~50% plant-based with PR tactics straight from Big Oil & Tobacco.

We could have avoided 4-13Gt of Co2e in emissions + sequestered 21-37Gt CO2 via rewilding land used by livestock.

~50Gt total, eq. to ~7 years of US emissions!

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

The livestock industry knew of its role in environmental breakdown, just like #ExxonKnew, and an uncovered industry doc makes clear that they planned to obstruct efforts ever since.

This was the beginning of their campaign 'Beef. It's what's for dinner.'

[spencer 🦈 @Unpop_Science]

Tomorrow at 7ET, I’m giving a talk to @MassSierraClub on the environmental impacts of fish farming.

It’s free for anyone to tune in. Find the link in the next post. ⬇️

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

@Aibohphobicpoet That's ridiculous. There are huge profits from both antibiotics to all livestock, and new feed additives and vaccines.

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

@Aibohphobicpoet You're missing my point, perhaps because your income depends on it. Pharma, health, and even fossil fuel lobbying have efforts that justify the status quo or growth of animal agriculture. Adding these together, conservatively, it's the largest.

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

@Aibohphobicpoet Where do you think 70% of antibiotics go? Livestock. That picture you showed, the final data needlessly separated many animal ag sectors. Of course there are other huge lobbying industries. Animal agriculture globally is at the top if doing a full scope review.

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

@Aibohphobicpoet @Veganella_ Irrelevant and no it's far different warming effects. After some CH4 breaks down into CO2 after interacting with hydroxyl radicals, the warming damage has already been done. You've fallen for meat industry propaganda.

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

The dairy industry is in trouble. So the latest ploy is to make manure more valuable, capturing manure methane to con taxpayers thinking this offsets burps

It's a last effort that's working since animal agriculture has the biggest lobby of any industry

https://t.co/zECqsMUAc1

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

@Aibohphobicpoet And even with your source, they separated meat, dairy, poultry, agribusiness, etc. Adding it all up it's in top 3. Not even separating out the pharma share that's animal ag specific.

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

@Aibohphobicpoet You must not realize a big part of pharmaceutical business comes from animal agriculture. And more recent analyses in US and EU make it clear agribusiness is higher:
https://t.co/LwTG0p1c1L
https://t.co/wSbamFkmyZ

[Nicholas D. Carter @NicholasDCarter]

@Aibohphobicpoet @Veganella_ Methane is a new molecule created in the rumen yes. And its is far more potent than CO2 and what remains of CO2 is a fraction of the potency.

Inconvenient as that may be to your position.