Environmental and Health Consequences of Meat and Dairy by Sharon L. Wallenberg

“The animal protein culture, conventionally viewed as improved consumption in a “nutrition transition”, has serious environmental and health consequences.”  The Lancet

Seven million people die every year from air pollution.  Animal agriculture is responsible for methane which holds heat in the atmosphere more effectively than carbon dioxide.  In addition, animal agriculture causes air pollution from ammonia, nitrous oxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide.  This is in addition to water and land pollution.  Manure laden with disease, chemicals, antibiotics and hormones is polluting rivers and water tables worldwide, poisoning soils and contaminating waterways.

The single most effective way to eliminate the majority of the problems faced today – food insecurity, hunger, poverty, climate change, disease, habitat loss and species extinction is the plant-based diet, and elimination of exploitation of the most vulnerable – those of other species.

The recent EAT-Lancet Commission advocates plant-based foods.  “Eating plants directly rather than in meat, dairy, eggs, much less of the crop is required to deliver the same amount of protein, without the pollution and pandemics.”