STUART VARNEY: Turns out that widely publicized warning about bacon causing cancer, may not really just be about processed meat. Climate change activism may have played a role in making the cancer claim in the first place. Cheryl, explain that. First of all, is the World Health Organization saying eating processed meat causes cancer?
CHERYL CASONE: One of their divisions said that, yes. You're correct.
VARNEY: Exacerbates climate change, is what I'm trying to say.
CASONE: Yes. It was discovered, what happened is it was discovered, they come out with this alarming report -- “don't eat bacon, you're going to get colorectal cancer” -- which by the way doctors are completely disagreeing with that assumption. But here, WHO, they released a huge report before the Paris climate talks saying that they wanted to go after, basically, the agricultural movement, a whole section on the agricultural practices around the world, farming, meat production, using pesticides and all that. They actually wrote in this report, and I'll give you a quote, “A key action with large potential climate and health benefits is to facilitate a shift away from high-GHG foods--many of which -- animal origin.” They put that with regards to climate change. So what do you do? Then another division comes out and says, “oh, that's right folks, bacon, red meat, it all causes colorectal cancer!”
ASHLEY WEBSTER: Right. It's a double whammy. The production and consumption of meat is bad for you. Let's all eat plants.
VARNEY: Okay.
CASONE: Yeah, and it's ruining the climate. But I just want to be clear here though because a lot of our viewers love meat. Don't believe everything you read. In moderation. But you know honestly, I mean when these studies come out, it's like, frustrating.
