You’ll often find people poking fun at vegans online, but it isn’t every day that they come under fire for ruining the environment.

If you ask Tim Noakes that’s exactly what’s going on, with Prof saying that “a plant-based diet is a “dangerous trend” for the environment”.

We all know that he champions the Banting Diet, and has made decent cash spreading that message far and wide, and now he has set his sights on those who turn their noses up at meat.

He spoke to Huff Post SA:

“The only way we will save the planet is by going back to meat eating. By having farms where animals are eating grass, and manuring the land, means that all the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could return if they start more meat production.” Noakes said…

“Topsoil is disappearing due to plant-based agriculture, and I worry that you can’t continue like this much longer because the myth that livestock is driving environmental issues is driven by the fossil fuel industry and they are very powerful obviously,” said Noakes.

“People like Bill Gates, and Richard Branson, are very powerful, and more people are saying they are going to be eating plant-based diets because of them, but the move against meat-based diets is unfounded, and irresponsible to promote at this stage.”

The renowned sports nutritionist said it would be unethical for doctors to prescribe a vegan diet to their patients.

“There’s never bee a society that can survive on a completely vegetarian or vegan diet. We have to have some animal products. Vegan people survive because you can get some of the nutrition you need from supplements, which means it’s not a complete diet,” said Noakes.

“But you are still not getting adequate protein. You can survive on a 100% animal diet, but you cannot survive 100% on a vegan diet.”

Noakes is fighting an uphill battle, especially as the doccie What The Health continues to promote the vegan lifestyle, so maybe that’s why he is turning to such desperate measures.

You can watch the trailer for that doccie HERE, but we’ll carry on with Prof’s comments:

“We became humans when we started to eat animal produce. When we became carnivores we said it is much easier to eat an animal, than have to carry around this huge gut,” he told HuffPost SA.

“Now what’s happening is that vegans and vegetarians are trying to convert the biology of humans to the way we were 3 million years ago, and we can’t do that. There is one species that tried, the Panda Bear, and it is one of the most unhealthy animals on earth.”

He claimed pandas suffer from bowel problems, obesity and lethargy which was the same for vegans and vegetarians.

Yeah panda lovers, your favourite animal is an unhealthy mess.

Many have levelled the accusation that Noakes works in conjunction with meat, dairy and egg companies, or that his research is at least funded by them, but he hit back at those claims:

“I have no ties to the meat industry, that’s ridiculous. People don’t look at the current food we are eating. The plant-based, high carb diet actually earns hundreds of millions a year, and I get nothing out of it,” said Noakes.

“In fact, I write a book and donate the money to charities and foundations, so how can you accuse me of having an agenda?”

Apparently the man just loves meat and wants you to be healthy. Hey, if he makes more cash along the way I’m sure he doesn’t mind either.

So, how do the vegans out there feel about being blamed for ruining the world? I guess the shoe is on the other foot…

[source:huffpostsa]