An editorial in yesterday’s New York Times directs us to a recent report published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The report, titled Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options, is over 400 pages long. I haven’t read it, but I understand that the Cliff’s Notes version is the single sentence, “Animal agriculture is quickly destroying our planet.”
Sadly, I do not believe that veganism is suggested as an option to help get us out of this mess and save us from any future misery. Still, I think this might make for a good read for folks who need to read an oppressively long report in order to get it through their smartass heads that it doesn’t make sense to put in more resources in order to get less out.
Thanks to reader Elisa at the Brooklyn Museum for directing me to this story! Apparently I missed mention of it the first time around on SuperVegan since it was buried in our post-crash wrap up. Maybe you did too.
1 Comment
Noah
on #FYI the UN report (p.11) says: “The growing trend towards vegetarianism, albeit still at a very low level in most societies, is another manifestation of this trend [of "concerned consumers" who reduce their consumption of livestock]. Government promotion campaigns are also identified as potential drivers of consumption trends.”
So it’s right in there as a solution. Instead of throwing our hands up, the government could promote veganism. Or stop subsidizing animal agriculture.