“One aspect of sustainability that has particular importance for me personally concerns what we eat and how it is made. While the pitiful lives of animals in factory farms have been well-documented, what is also becoming more well-known is the tremendous impact eating animal products has on the environment.”
I made the choice to become vegetarian about 22 years ago. I realize now I’m probably an inadvertent vegan because I can’t remember the last time I ate any of the prohibited foods for vegans.
I made my choice solely because of the barbaric cruelty visited on the sentient beings slaughtered to feed humans. Even today, that issue alone is enough for me to justify vegetarianism and veganism. From my childhood, I’ve always had dogs and cats as family members. I could not profess to love them as family while supporting the cruelty of the meat industry.
I recognize the effects of the carnivore diet on the environment. That’s also a compelling reason to turn away from the carnivore diet. It’s just that I don’t have to take that further step to commit myself to my vegetarian lifestyle. Especially given what we know now about the rich inner lives of the species we share the planet with, we need to rethink how we feed the world.