An August 2019 report from the UN on land use and climate change names the production and consumption of meat as a major contributor to climate change. While the report stopped short of calling for vegetarianism or veganism, it emphasized that the West’s high consumption of meat and dairy produce is fueling global warming.
The question of the morality of eating meat is approached in bioethics from the angle of non-human animal suffering as well as the effects of eating meat on human health and welfare. As the link between the production of animal products and climate change has become scientifically established in recent years, environmental concerns have introduced a powerful moral argument for reducing or eliminating the consumption of animal products.
The emphasis of the report is also a pressing reminder of the effects of our daily lifestyle and consumer choices on overall global health.
