Lab-grown meat produces up to 25 times more CO2 than standard slaughtering practices when scaled up to the current supply in the market, according to a study conducted by the University of California, Davis.

The study reveals the environmental impact of lab-grown meat or animal cell-based meat (ACBM) production “is likely to be orders of magnitude higher than median beef production.”

The increased levels of CO2 would be necessary for the purification processes that supply nutrients to cultured cells – meaning “the removal of cells from an animal or plant and their subsequent growth in a favorable artificial environment.”

“The use of refinement methods contributes significantly to the economic and environmental costs associated with pharmaceutical products since they are both energy and resource intensive,” argue the researchers.

Notably, the study argues that previous reports on the positive environmental impact of ACBM rely on “unrealistic technologies” that are “not technically feasible,” non-existent, or improbable to function.

Although the study is yet to be peer-reviewed, the results would be damning for many of the most vociferous proponents of artificial meats, such as Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, who claims that rich nations should embrace synthetic meat.

The news comes as The National Pulse revealed a concerning connection between lab grown meat and the Chinese Communist Party’s biowarfare program.