Along with many other half-baked notions in this opinion piece, Sean Stalpes says "the idea that we all are obligated to give up meat is unfeasible." That statement falls well short of the mark, betraying a rather serious ignorance about modern factory farming, which is itself unfeasible. This is especially true as the world population grows, and China and India -- with their massive populations -- seek to increase meat consumption in their countries as they adopt other Western practices.Hopefully people will check that report out. Unfortunately it's $7, but that's a small price to pay for the information it offers. The report stops short of recommending a plant-based diet but, like just about every other major health organization (and most environmental organizations), it recommends a vast reduction in meat consumption, and a shift toward local, sustainably-farmed food.
The Worldwatch Institute released a paper recently that I think Stalpes and your readers will find edifying, called "Happier Meals: Rethinking the Global Meat Industry," which shows explicitly how the dominant method of animal agriculture is inhumane and ecologically disruptive. After reading this detailed report and its recommendations, I don't think anyone could read Stalpes' claims of inaccuracy without seeing right through them.
Categories: factory farming | Peter Singer | meat-eating | vegetarianism
