As world leaders gather for the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, there's hypocrisy during lunch break: this global meeting on saving the planet isn't even a vegan event.
How can a conference meant to address deforestation, emissions, and ecological collapse serve the very foods most responsible for them? According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, raising and killing animals for food is a top driver of ocean dead zones, water pollution and habitat destruction. And the University of Oxford researchers confirm that current farming practices prevent us from meeting climate goals -- even if we cut all other fossil fuel emissions.
But there's hope: a study in Nature Sustainability suggests that shifting to vegan food worldwide could free up huge areas for reforestation, potentially pulling 16 years' worth of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2050.
Going vegan also spares animals from the harsh conditions of factory farms, where many suffer in overcrowded and filthy spaces. With all the delicious and healthy vegan foods widely available, there's no reason to keep harming animals and the Earth.
The planet doesn't need more talk. It needs action. And the most powerful action begins on our plates. So, please, let's go vegan.
Editor's note: Rebecca Libauskas is a climate research specialist with the PETA Foundation. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.