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Forbes
29-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
One Big Beautiful Bill – The Cost Of Climate Inaction
Storm cloud The One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law in early July, directly rolls back several core provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, widely regarded as the most ambitious U.S. climate policy to date. According to Rhodium Group, the bill could cut the build-out of new clean power capacity by 53–59% between 2025 and 2035 and put over $500 billion in clean energy and transportation investments at risk. As the rollback of U.S. climate provisions accelerate, we may one day look back and ask: what was the true price of that decision? Not politically. Not ideologically. But economically. While the scale of the required investments might be daunting, the alternative – climate inaction – would unleash economic and societal damage on a far larger scale. Some of which we are already seeing now. The Price Tag Of Transition: High, But Necessary There's no denying that the global energy transition will require unprecedented levels of investment. According to the IEA, annual investment in renewables must double, and investment in energy efficiency and electrification needs to almost triple within five years, in order to meet global climate targets and support the clean energy tripling goal by 2030 agreed at COP28. Reaching net zero by 2050 will require annual global clean energy investments to rise to $4.5 trillion by the end of this decade. These numbers may seem overwhelming, however much of the spending replaces existing investment needs. Energy systems, transport networks, buildings, and industrial facilities all need ongoing reinvestment – whether it's for clean systems or fossil-based ones. In fact, in 2025 alone, $1.1 trillion is still expected to flow into oil, gas, and coal globally. So, the question isn't whether we invest, but where we direct those investments. TOPSHOT - Electric energy generating wind turbines are seen on a wind farm in the San Gorgonio Pass ... More area on Earth Day, April 22, 2016, near Palm Springs, California. - San Gorgonio Pass is one of the largest wind farm areas in the United States. (Photo by David McNew / AFP) (Photo credit should read DAVID MCNEW/AFP via Getty Images) Each $1 In Climate Action Can Save Up To $14 In Future Damages More importantly, the upfront cost of climate action must be weighed against the immense losses it can avert. According to joint modelling by the University of Cambridge and Boston Consulting Group, investments in mitigation and adaptation of 1-2% of cumulative global GDP from 2025 to 2100 could avoid economic damages worth between 11-27% of cumulative global GDP over the same period. In other words, each dollar spent on climate action could prevent up to 14 dollars in future damages. Failure to act could mean losing up to 25% of future global GDP – three times the total health spending worldwide this century. Even achieving a trajectory below 2°C would not eliminate damage altogether. However, this would limit losses to 2–4% of global GDP, which is much less than the 15–34% expected if temperatures were to rise by 3°C. That represents a permanent drag on global growth, magnified over time by compounding shocks and growing volatility. These losses are not limited to immediate effects from extreme weather events but also include the knock-on effects of climate disruption: lower labor productivity due to heat stress, water scarcity undermining food and energy systems, rising sea levels and droughts forcing mass migration, higher mortality and disease burdens straining healthcare systems, destabilized trade routes, and mounting costs for governments, businesses and customers alike. Iceberg - Hidden Danger And Global Warming Concept - 3d Illustration Climate Change Is Already Here – And Expensive For some, it may be tempting to see these economic impacts as hypothetical – problems for future generations to solve. But that framing is outdated: the losses are already real and increasing. Since the beginning of the century, climate-related disasters have caused over $3.6 trillion in damage globally. And the pace is accelerating. The economic cost of climate-related disasters has more than doubled since the early 2000s: from around $450 billion between 2000 and 2004 to over $1 trillion between 2020 and 2024. In 2023, global insured losses from climate-related events exceeded $100 billion for the fifth consecutive year. In Europe, recent years have brought a series of record-breaking climate events. In Spain for example, this summer has already brought extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 46°C. The prolonged heatwave triggered wildfires, power outages, hospital surges, and significant agricultural losses – with economic damages in Spain alone estimated at 1.4% of GDP. The United States has had to cope with similar impacts. Estimates for Hurricane Helene, which devastated southeastern U.S. states in September 2024, suggest that this single event could be responsible for over $100 billion in damages, making it one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. These are not one-off events. They are early signals of what's to come. As global temperatures continue to rise, the frequency and intensity of such disasters is projected to increase dramatically. You don't have to be an economist to grasp where this is heading – and what it will cost. 24 August 2023, Spain, Vinuela: Vegetation makes its way through the drought-ridden earth on the ... More shores of the Viñuela reservoir. The reservoir feeds the tropical crops of Axarquía, such as mangoes and avocados. It is in a phase of desiccation, with no water inflow, but consumption that has led the municipalities of Málaga to impose restrictions on the consumption of drinking water. Photo: Felipe Passolas/dpa (Photo by Felipe Passolas/picture alliance via Getty Images) Climate Action Could Create 85 Million New Jobs by 2030 Yet the argument for climate action extends well beyond cost avoidance. Investments in clean energy yield returns through lower utility costs, increased efficiency, and greater energy independence. The cost of key low-carbon technologies has fallen significantly over the past decade –especially solar power, wind, and batteries – and are expected to decline even further, while the margins that can be made with these technologies on energy markets are promising. Additionally, climate resilience investments tend to generate strong economic returns. According to the World Economic Forum, companies that assess their climate risks and act on them report paybacks of $2 to $19 for every dollar invested, depending on the sector. From flood defenses to water-saving systems, climate adaptation investments regularly deliver returns that outweigh their initial costs. The employment gains are equally compelling. The International Renewable Energy Agency estimated that 85 million new jobs could be created by 2030 in the clean energy transition. This exceeds the 12 million jobs expected to be lost in fossil fuel industries. In a nutshell, investing in cleantech has economic potential. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 21: Workers install solar panels during the completion phase of a ... More 4-acre solar rooftop atop AltaSea's research and development facility at the Port of Los Angeles, in the San Pedro neighborhood, on April 21, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. The installation will supply enough energy to power AltaSea's 35-acre campus, the country's biggest 'blue economy' tech hub, which is focused on clean oceans, climate resiliency, and clean energy. (Photo by) Inaction Is Not An Option Unmitigated climate change threatens the very pillars of economic stability. It would reduce productivity, increase poverty, and push fragile systems past their limits. The investment case for climate action is clear: it is a fraction of the cost of inaction, it unlocks long-term savings, and it creates new jobs and industries. The missing ingredient is no longer data or models, but political will, courageous companies and financial mobilization at scale. We face a choice: invest now in a cleaner, resilient future – or spend endlessly on the fallout of inaction.
Toronto Sun
25-06-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
Man charged with supplying chemicals to fertility clinic bomber dies in custody
Published Jun 24, 2025 • 3 minute read The damaged front of the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic stands following a bomb blast on May 17, 2025 in Palm Springs, Calif. Photo by David McNew / Getty Images LOS ANGELES — A Washington state man who was charged with aiding the bomber of a fertility clinic in Southern California died Tuesday in federal custody, just weeks after his arrest, prison officials said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Daniel Park, 32, was accused of supplying chemicals to Guy Edward Bartkus of California, the bomber, who died in the May 17 explosion. Park, of suburban Seattle, was found unresponsive at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles Tuesday morning and was pronounced dead at a hospital, the Bureau of Prisons said in a statement. No cause of death was provided. The two men connected in fringe online forums over their shared beliefs against human procreation, investigators said. The blast gutted the clinic in Palm Springs, east of Los Angeles, and shattered the windows of nearby buildings, with officials calling the attack terrorism. The facility was closed, and no embryos were damaged. Park shipped about 82 kg of ammonium nitrate to Bartkus in January and bought about another 41 kg and had it shipped to him days before the explosion, investigators said. Park purchased ammonium nitrate online in several transactions between October 2022 and May 2025, according to a federal complaint. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Authorities said Park traveled to Twentynine Palms, Calif., near Palm Springs, to experiment with explosives in Bartkus' garage months before the attack. Read More Three days before Park visited him in January, Bartkus asked an AI chat application about explosives, detonation velocity, diesel and gasoline mixtures, the complaint said. The discussion centred on how to create the most powerful blast. Park was taken into custody at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on June 3, after he was extradited from Poland, where he fled four days after the attack. Park had been charged with providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists. He had been at Metropolitan Detention Center since June 13, federal prison officials said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, which is prosecuting the case, referred questions about Park's death to the Bureau of Prisons. Park and Bartkus bonded over a 'shared belief that people shouldn't exist,' Akil Davis, the FBI's assistant director in charge, said earlier this month. They believed in anti-natalism, a fringe theory that opposes childbirth and population growth and contends that people should not continue to procreate. Officials said Bartkus intentionally targeted the American Reproductive Centers, a clinic that provides services to help people get pregnant, including in vitro fertilization and fertility evaluations. Park appeared to be a frequent poster in an anti-natalist Reddit forum going back nearly a decade, according to court papers. In 2016, he spoke of recruiting others to the movement, which he described as hopeful. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. According to court papers, he wrote: 'When people are lost and distraught, death is always an option.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO Relatives told federal investigators that Park had made 'pro-mortalist' statements since high school, according to the complaint. More recently, in March, he posted in the forum to say he was seeking to find fellow anti-natalists in and around Washington state to 'start some protests or just any in-person events,' according to court papers. The post did not receive any public comments. The Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles is also used to detain people arrested for immigration violations. It's been the site of many recent protests over President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, and Trump has deployed the National Guard to stand guard outside the facility. Toronto Blue Jays NHL Columnists Editorial Cartoons Toronto & GTA
Black America Web
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Black America Web
Protecting Protest Rights And Dissent Amid Trump's Attack On Freedom
Source: David McNew / Getty The Trump administration's recent militarized response to protests in Los Angeles represents an escalation in its assault against various rights and freedoms. It comes after nearly five months of tactics that contravene existing laws and standards; yet, the Trump administration persists. Civil rights attorney Judith Bronwne Dianis, executive director of the Advancement Project, called out the Trump administration's escalating in Los Angeles as a 'threat to our democracy and our communities.' 'As the administration pursues aggressive and dehumanizing methods of immigration enforcement – relying on racial profiling to target those they suspect are immigrants and then kidnapping and deporting them without warrants, legal counsel, or judicial oversight – it is no surprise that communities across the country are standing up in solidarity with our immigrant families, neighbors, friends and coworkers,' Dianis said. 'Dissent is being met with flash-bang grenades, tear gas, and military vehicles, as protestors are criminalized and their lives put in danger for exercising their fundamental rights to assemble and speak freely.' And it's not just Trump. The Republican controlled Congress continues efforts to pass legislation that not only robs families and communities of necessary programs, but also whittles away at civil liberties and public safety and well-being. Protest rights and free speech have been under attack at the state level for many years. As of April 2025, there were 41 anti-protest bills introduced since the beginning of the year. Even before the 2020 racial justice uprisings following George Floyd's murder, several states passed laws restricting rights or enhancing penalties for protests. But the current protests against the Trump administration's expansive deployment of ICE and other federal authorities, including illegal deployment of the military, represent a broader movement to protest fundamental rights like due process and keep people safe. The way people are treated matters. Resisting repression of these fundamental rights and others remains an essential strategy in safeguarding families and communities impacted by systemic oppression. Protesting and acts of civil disobedience have always been used to object to brutality and injustice. Whether you're a concerned citizen, mayor of a major city, state court judge, or member of Congress, everyone has a duty to speak up and stand firm against tyranny. As we've seen with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, and U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, the current administration does not care who you are or what title you hold. While all the attention has been on Los Angeles, and deservedly so, there have been protests happening across the country. // Here are four considerations as mass protests continue to unfold, including planned 'No Kings' day actions on June 14, challenging Trump's escalating repression Protesting may not be for everyone, but understanding your rights is essential for exercising them effectively. Various advocacy organizations, such as the Black Alliance for Just Immigration and Free Press, have created 'know your rights' resources that provide an overview of the rights at stake and offer tips for protecting oneself and one's community. These guides are not a substitute for legal advice but serve as a valuable starting point. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BAJI (@instabaji) // While knowing one's rights is essential, it's also important to consider personal safety and security. Everyone needs a plan beyond basic situational awareness. The Trump administration's response to recent protests, including those in Los Angeles, highlights the need for vigilance. The escalation of repression and retaliation by the federal government against protesters and elected officials alike underscores the importance of staying informed and aware. Media outlets and social media platforms can often sensationalize events, making it crucial to verify information through reputable sources. Also, just knowing what is really at stake can help raise awareness about the harms being caused and the broader impact. Consider checking out these resources from BAJI, given the escalating immigration attacks and increased interactions with various levels of law enforcement impacting our communities. The media's insistence on publishing what Trump and other officials say without any qualification or context remains a problem. Simply writing DHS says, or Trump officials say, when there is clear information to the contrary, requires more discernment than many outlets give on the first take. Being objective and telling 'both sides' of a story should not require running interference for an administration trying hard to prove its fascist street cred. Similar to concerns raised by community advocates around crime reporting, reports of protests and other forms of dissent require a different lens that doesn't automatically give deference to government authorities. Also, deep fakes, out-of-context photos and videos, and other inflammatory content, since protests first started in Los Angeles last week. As discussed on the recent Wired podcast 'Uncanny Valley,' there is widespread disinfo spreading online about the Los Angeles protests. Take a step back and consider the sources and context of information being shared, do reverse image searches when possible, or simply refrain from sharing a possibly inflammatory post. It takes a few minutes, but it can go a long way in stopping the spread of disinformation at a time when people's lives could depend on it. As we've seen from our ancestors, collective action and collaboration require sustained commitment to defend our rights and freedoms in the face of government repression. Several national and local organizations offer events, trainings, and resources to help individuals stay informed and safe while participating in protests. The Advancement Project, the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, the Movement for Black Lives, and many others are excellent resources for finding information and support at this time. In addition to leading conversations on digital safety, organizations like Media Justice provide valuable resources and spaces for challenging the weaponization of technology and digital platforms. Reporting for Truthout documented the expansive surveillance state that is rapidly scaling up, with immigrants serving as 'the first target.' From license plate readers and traffic cameras to facial recognition software, this technology puts us all at risk. The Working Families Party offers an alternative for those seeking an organizing space and a political home outside the traditional confines of the Democratic Party. As a fusion party, WFP often works alongside the Democratic Party, but it also develops its own candidates and infrastructure across the country. // Efforts like the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley offer webinars and research that help bridge connections across groups. Instead of wasting energy trying to change hearts and minds, their work focuses on building across commonalities and shared interests. If you're bothered by the expansion of private prisons for immigration and are thinking about exploring prison abolition, Critical Resistance might be an organization for you. // There are numerous amazing groups doing impactful work; it's impossible to name them all. But you can find a place to plug in and share your time, treasure, and talents. Or look local and see where you can plug in. Ask people in your family or social circle where they volunteer. Everything we do to build into our communities and lift each other up counts. SEE ALSO: 200 George Floyd Demonstrators Gather In Chicago To Protests Trump Administration's Police Reform Rollbacks 19 Unforgettable Photos From LA Protests Against ICE SEE ALSO Protecting Protest Rights And Dissent Amid Trump's Attack On Freedom was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Forbes
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Booze With A View: California's Ultimate Roof Bars
Spire 73 occupies an outdoor terrace on the 73rd floor of the Wilshire Grand Center (right), tallest ... More building on the U.S. West Coast. (Photo by David McNew) San Francisco set new expectations for high-rise bars when the Top of the Mark opened in 1939 inside what had previously been the 19th-floor penthouse at the Mark Hopkins Hotel. Since then, the Golden State has literally raised the bar higher and higher with skyscraper summits and outdoor cantinas with increasingly awesome city, bay, ocean, and mountain views. Here are five of the best: As you might have guessed by the name, this lofty lounge overlooks the City of the Angeles on the 73rd floor of the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown Hotel — the tallest open-air bar in the western hemisphere. The view looks south towards Long Beach and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. And on clear days, you can see Catalina Island floating off the coast. Craft cocktails like the Cloud Nine, Eclipse Martini and Sundown Spritz channel the sky-high ambience, while the food menu offers a range of trans-Pacific shareables, appetizers and entrees. The bar's Sunset Sips happy hour showcases a different premium spirit each week to the sounds of a live DJ spinning tunes high above Hollywood. Vintage view from the legendary Top O' The Mark bar in San Francisco looking east toward Berkeley ... More and Oakland, with the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge on the right. (Photo by PhotoQuest) Despite a plethora of skyscrapers, many of San Francisco's rooftop bars are decidedly low rise. But not the Starlite, perched on the 21st floor of the Beacon Grand Hotel near Union Square. Originally opened in 1928 as the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, the property had a multi-million-dollar makeover in 2024 to resurrect its Roaring Twenties glory days, a restoration that includes the Starlite. The cocktails were created by esteemed local mixologist Scott Baird while the short but spectacular bites menu was conceived by Michelin-star chef Johnny Spero of the renowned Reverie restaurant in Washington DC. Besides the vinyl-spinning house DJ, the Starlite also offers occasional 'Sunday's A Drag' afternoon pride parties hosted by local drag queen legends. There's also the possibility of sipping at two renowned rooftop bars in the same evening by hopping the cable car that runs past the front of the Beacon Grand and up Nob Hill to the Top of the Mark. Super yachts and aircraft carriers are among the many watercraft that patrons might spot from the ... More Odysea bar overlooking San Diego Bay. (Photo by Kevin Carter) Odysea rides an outdoor deck at the Hilton Bayfront that overlooks San Diego Bay with views across the water to Coronado, aircraft carriers docked at North Island, and the famous blue bridge. There's also in indoor portion, an oval bar reminiscent of the cozy drinking holes sometimes found on cruise ships. Barrel-aged cocktails like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan are the house specialties, while bites like the Baja ceviche and chicharrónes reflect San Diego's proximity to Mexico. The regular Odysea Bar is open year-round, but a new Aperol suffused summer pop-bar bar called The Overlook that disappears after sundown on September 1st. The Heavenly Scenic Gondola offers incredible views of "Big Blue" as it rises from South Lake Tahoe ... More to Cafe Blue. (Photo by George Rose) It's not a roof bar per se. But Café Blue does sit on the roof of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Heavenly Ski Resort. Getting there is half the fun, a scenic gondola ride that starts in South Lake Tahoe and gradually rises to Halfway Point Station at 9,123 feet above sea level. The drink selection is limited — craft beers, Northern California wines, hard seltzers, and canned cocktails. But the view seems limitless, a panorama of 'Big Blue' and the surrounding Sierras from tables on the open-air terrace. Open year round 10 am to 2 pm. The Kimpton Rowan hotel is reflected in the rooftop swimming pool beside the High Bar. (Photo by ... More George Rose) Topping the six-story Kimpton Rowan hotel in downtown Palm Springs, the High Bar is especially cool at dusk as the sun dips behind the San Jacinto Mountains and the surrounding desert takes on a golden glow. Given the triple digit temperatures in summer, frozen cocktails are the way to go — the Teremana Margarita, Beachcomber's Daquiri or classic Piña Colada. Which you might want to share with sorbet or gelato. The rooftop swimming pool is open to guests or non-guests who hire a cabana for the day or evening, a deal that includes $200 or $150 for the rental and a $200 food and drink minimum for as many as six guests.
Vox
13-05-2025
- Business
- Vox
The best plant-based meat products, according to a huge blind taste test
is a senior reporter for Vox's Future Perfect section, with a focus on animal welfare and the future of meat. Over the last decade, plant-based meat has gotten a lot more meaty. Dozens of startups have launched in recent years to develop more realistic-tasting burgers, nuggets, and sausages as an alternative to factory farmed meat, which causes billions of animals to suffer terribly, pollutes our air and water, and accelerates climate change. For a time, the plant-based meat sector was on a major upswing: Retail sales doubled from 2017 to 2020. But since then, sales have continually declined. Recently published data found a seven percent drop in plant-based meat retail dollar sales from 2023 to 2024 and an 11 percent drop in the number of products sold. To better understand what consumers really think about plant-based meat, a few months ago one organization conducted a huge blind taste test, which I recently covered: In December and January, Nectar — a nonprofit that conducts research on 'alternative protein,' such as plant-based meat — brought together nearly 2,700 people in a first- and largest-of-its-kind blind taste test. Without knowing which version they were tasting, the participants tried 122 plant-based meat products across 14 categories, like burgers, hot dogs, and bacon, alongside one animal meat 'benchmark' product per category. Each product was tested by at least 100 participants, who then rated them on texture, flavor, appearance, and overall enjoyment on a 7-point scale from 'dislike very much' to 'like very much.' Twenty of the plant-based products won Nectar's 'Tasty award' — meaning that half or more of the participants rated them better than or equal to the animal-based counterpart (six of the 20 came from just one company: Impossible Foods). This suggests that some of consumers' preference for animal meat — or dislike of plant-based meat — is just in their head, an idea I explored in depth in April. A chef prepares Impossible Pork at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2020. David McNew/AFP via Getty Images The products were all served as part of a dish, like they'd be eaten in regular life — vegan meatballs were served with spaghetti, for example, and deli slices in a sandwich with fixings. While some of these products don't taste identical to meat when eaten on their own, when prepared in a meal, differences in taste become much less important. If you want to give the top-performing products a try, continue on to learn where to find the 14 that are available in the US, what I think of them (at least, the ones I've tried), and a bit about the companies behind these standout plant-based meats. (The six award-winning plant-based meat products that are only available in Europe can be found at the end of the article.) Burgers US plant-based meat companies have reliably churned out meat-free burgers for decades, in part because they're a beloved American staple, but also because ground beef is easier for food scientists to replicate than, say, a steak's complex fibrous structure. You can now find plant-based burgers at the vast majority of US grocery stores, and even at a lot of restaurants. Here are the companies that made the best burgers in Nectar's blind taste test: Impossible Foods : The company was founded in 2011 by Stanford biochemistry professor Pat Brown and spent five years developing the Impossible burger before launching it in 2016. Of all the plant-based burgers on the market, I think Impossible's — made with soybeans — is the best, and it's widely available in US grocery stores and restaurants, including every US Burger King location. MorningStar Farms : Founded in the 1970s and acquired by food giant Kellogg in 1999, MorningStar Farms is a legacy plant-based meat company that appears to still be investing a lot in R&D, given that it won two Tasty awards and keeps launching new products. I haven't tried the winning 'Steakhouse Style' burger , but it's now at the top of my list to seek out. Beyond Meat : The company has played an instrumental role in upping the quality of plant-based meats over the last decade, thanks in large part to its award-winning Beyond Burger, made with peas, a protein-rich legume. Last year, the company reformulated the burger by reducing saturated fat and sodium, switching to avocado oil, and increasing protein. Chicken nuggets I'll be honest: I've tried a lot of plant-based chicken nuggets, and I can't tell much of a difference between them (they all taste like, well, chicken). They're among the easiest foods to make plant-based because chicken nuggets are already highly processed and bear little resemblance to whole chicken meat. You can't go wrong with meat-free nuggs from the two Tasty award winners — Impossible Foods and MorningStar Farms — but I also recommend chicken nuggets from Beyond Meat and chicken tenders from Gardein. Chicken fillets Processing Meat A newsletter analyzing how the meat and dairy industries impact everything around us. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Breakfast sausage patties Plant-based breakfast sausage patties, like plant-based nuggets, all kind of taste the same to me. But blind taste testers have a preference for two companies' products: Impossible Foods and Gardein, a Canadian company that's launched a number of delicious plant-based meat products over the years, which are widely available in the US. I also like Impossible's ground sausage, which comes in a roll, giving you flexibility in how to use it. Turkey deli slices Tofurky : Tofurky has been around since 1995, and it's perhaps best known for its turkey slices, along with its Thanksgiving roast. The deli slices are perfect for sandwiches, rich in protein, and come in a variety of flavors. While their classic roasted turkey variety won the Tasty award, I prefer their smoked ham, roast beef, and bologna slices. Prime Roots : Most plant-based meat is made with soy, wheat, or peas as the protein source, but Prime Roots' deli slices are made with koji , a fermentation agent used to make miso and soy sauce. I tried Prime Roots' deli slices over three years ago and wasn't a fan; to me, they had an off-putting aftertaste that Tofurky's doesn't. But blind taste participants were fans, and three years is an eternity in the startup world, so it's very likely Prime Roots has improved its products. I'm excited to give them another try — you can too, since they're available at nearly 300 stores and restaurants across the US. Meatballs and hot dogs The only plant-based meatballs and hot dogs to win a Tasty award are made by — you guessed it — Impossible Foods. Its hot dogs are even good enough for Joey Chestnut, the world's top-ranking competitive eater, who signed an endorsement deal with the company in 2024. Other plant-based meat products worth your money The list above only includes products available in the US, but a number of Nectar's winners appear to only be available in Europe: While a blind taste test is the best measurement of a plant-based meat's quality, I also want to share some of my personal favorites — and those from friends and fellow Vox colleagues — that didn't win a Tasty award but deserve the limelight just as much: If you can't find a product near you, or want to try something not widely available in the US, there are a number of online food retailers, like Vegan Essentials and Thrive Market, that carry specialty plant-based products. Nectar's blind taste test demonstrated that, overall, plant-based meat still has a long way to go to compete with animal meat on flavor, texture, price, and other attributes. But that so many of the plant-based products were rated just as good or better than their animal meat equivalents shows how far the industry has come in recent decades. In the years ahead, as the problems of our food system — animal cruelty, climate emissions, water pollution, and more — grow and worsen, its alternatives will improve. If we're lucky, they'll come to be seen less as substitutes and more as ethical, and tasty, options to satisfy humanity's desire for meat.
