Cognitive Dissonance at Sharm El-Sheikh. By Sharon Leontine Wallenberg

The United Nations Congress of the Parties 27 (COP 27) Conference was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt recently to discuss Climate Change.  According to UN Food and Agriculture Organization, animal agriculture is the leading cause of Climate Change.  This fact was not only absent from discussions at the COP27 Conference, but according to an attendee, beef was served extensively. 

The FAO Report, Livestock’s Long Shadow, documents the impacts of livestock on the environment including climate change, pollution of air, land and soil, deforestation, water degradation, and biodiversity loss.  Livestock is responsible for more greenhouse gas than transportation and is the single largest user of land and water, and the largest source of water pollution from animal waste, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and pesticides used for feed crops, and sediments from eroded pastures. 

The meat and dairy based diet is linked to the Non Communicable Diseases of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, anti-microbial resistance and some cancers, and is the single greatest cause of global warming.  Eating animals is unhealthy for humans, the planet, and most definitely for the innocent animals.

Climate change requires urgent action.  The most effective urgent action is to ban animal agriculture and encourage humans to adopt a plant-based diet.

End Speciesism now!