Scientists propose tax on meat and livestock to help avert future pandemics
THIN LEI WIN POLICY makers should consider levying taxes on livestock production and meat consumption to reduce the risk of future deadly pandemics, international experts have said, as they published a study calling for better protection of nature. "Over-consumption of meat... (is) bad for our health. It's unsustainable in terms of environmental impact. It's also a driver of pandemic risk," Peter Daszak, a zoologist who chaired the study, told journalists at its launch. Outbreaks of influenza viruses and new pandemic strains have emerged largely because of "incredibly dense production of poultry and pigs in some parts of the world, driven…