Their Turn - The Social Justice Movement of Our Time Their Turn - The Social Justice Movement of Our Time

Ironically, Climate Change Marchers Line Up to Buy Meat, Fish & Dairy at Parade

September 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment


News & Opinion

Wearing t-shirts with slogans like “Climate Justice Starts Here,” hundreds, if not thousands, of Climate March participants in NYC lined up at food trucks at the street fair after the parade to buy meat, fish and dairy products, demonstrating either a lack of awareness or disregard for what the United Nations says is, by far, the number one contributor of climate change and the planet’s biggest polluter — animal agriculture.

How can the nation’s leading environmental groups expect the general public to make eco-friendly choices if their own members engage in the most environmentally destructive activity — and if they themselves don’t promote a plant-based diet? Can we really expect world leaders at this week’s United Nations’ Climate Summit to take drastic measures to reverse climate change if “environmentalists” can’t take the most basic one?

At Climate Change marches around the world, plant-based/vegan participants displayed compelling posters and distributed information about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment, and their efforts will assuredly effect some change. However, as evidenced in the groundbreaking documentary film Cowspiracy, animal agriculture must be eliminated altogether in order to reverse climate change and save the planet.



Comments via Facebook

TheirTurn.net Comments

  1. Jeff says:

    Here is a better source for the facts in the movie http://www.fao.org/ag/magazine/0612sp1.htm and current information says the numbers have increased. With transportation being a major player as well, the transportation of cattle and such is also contributing.

  2. “However, as evidenced in the groundbreaking documentary film Cowspiracy, animal agriculture must be eliminated altogether in order to reverse climate change and save the planet.”

    While animal-based agriculture is making global warming worse, it’s not causing climate change as the biggest culprit by far is the burning of fossil fuels to power our electric devices, fuel our vehicles and heat our homes.

  3. Zia says:

    Attacking vegans/vegetarians as elitists is just a way to distract from the real issue. We all need to cut way back on animal products.

  4. Hal says:

    It’s a great think to be vegetarian, vegan and for many, reduce the amount of meat in our diets, we all agree on that. But the article states:

    “United Nations says is, by far, the number one contributor of climate change and the planet’s biggest polluter, animal agriculture.”

    I’m quoting the article, not the UN. The above statement by Donny Moss is false. In fact the UN says something different. Here’s the link:
    http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=47563#.VCCOAHCNy21

    Read down to where it says:
    “FAO’s data based on country reports show that while those emissions continue to increase, they are not growing as fast as emissions from fossil fuel use in other sectors – actually decreasing over time the share of agriculture and other land use out of total anthropogenic emissions.”

    Other sources agree. If you look it up, you will discover that electricity and heating are BY FAR the greatest sources of green house gases. So make your case for veganism, but get your facts right.

    1. susan roberts says:

      Your comment illustrates exactly what is wrong with a climate change protest that sees the world only in terms of human use. What about the animals ? What about their suffering ? What about the longest exploitation in history ? To properly tackle climate change we must remember that we are only one species on this planet. A bit of humility, even this late in the day, would go a long way. If every person who marched went vegan today, the agricultural industry would be seriously affected. That would be the beginning of citizen empowerment, we could take back our world.

  5. Alex says:

    Great pictures from the protest! What a great day!

  6. “what the United Nations says is, by far, the number one contributor of climate change and the planet’s biggest polluter, animal agriculture.

    Where does the UN say this? What UN body are you referring to? UNEP? IPCC? FAO?

    1. Donny Moss says:

      I believe these were conclusions were made based on FAO data. From World Watch “These data clearly indicate that livestock production accounts for an enormous share of global greenhouse gas emissions. Together, emissions from enteric fermentation, manure left on pastures, manure applied to soils, cropland devoted to feed production, and manure treated in management systems contribute more than 80 percent of total emissions.” http://www.worldwatch.org/agriculture-and-livestock-remain-major-sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions-0 Is this a misinterpretation?

      1. Reread the first paragraph of the article you just linked me to:

        “Agriculture is the third largest contributor to global emissions by sector, following the burning of fossil fuels for power and heat, and transportation. In 2010, emissions from electricity and heat production reached 12.5 billion tons, and emissions from transport totaled 6.7 billion tons.”

  7. Mike says:

    Guys, as well intentioned as you may be. This is not an appropriate time for bullshit vegan elitism.

    Statements like ‘We’re more environmentally friendly than your environmental group is!’ and calling these other people who give a damn about the environment ‘clueless’ because they eat meat or dairy is frankly reprehensible.

    Yes, we know that animal agriculture is a massive strain on the environment, the biggest even. But there are other issues at hand too, and people are trying to tackle them from different angles.

    A ‘we care more than you!’ attitude doesn’t help anybody. We should be helping these people, learning from them, and teaching them. Not making fun of them and being assholes about it.

    1. Chris says:

      It’s not elitism to state facts. There is no such thing as a meat eating environmentalist. “A vegan who drives a Hummer does more for the environment than a meat eater who drives a Prius”-Howard Lyman

      1. Mike says:

        I think it’s easy to get caught up in moral superiority when you’re vegan. I know because I have found myself in that position often. I believe it is one we must try to get ourselves out of if we are to be taken seriously.

        A homicide detective doesn’t berate a robbery detective for not solving any murders- both men are striving for the same goal (the reduction of crime.) and it is together that they can make things happen.

        Making out that their efforts are useless is damaging. It does not help the situation. It does not teach them or make them want to try harder. It simply makes you look like a bit of a jerk.

        1. Hoss says:

          I imagine the homicide detective might have very good reason to berate the robbery detective if the latter were committing homicides, however. 🙂

    2. Donny Moss says:

      Given the destructive impact of animal farming relative to other forms of pollution and our ability to do something about it by adopting a plant-based diet, I can understand why people are frustrated and angry. I’m not making an excuse for rude comments or elitism, if that’s what it is. If the information presented by the United Nations about animal agriculture and in the new film Cowspiracy is at all accurate, then we simply can’t reverse climate change unless animal agriculture as we know it is abolished.

      1. Kathy Schramm says:

        Coming at Climate Change from different angles is one thing, having trucks serving meat and dairy at the end of the march is something else. It’s just too much seeing that, because that is exactly what the problem is. If people at the climate march in NYC can’t change their habits, how can we expect the other 7.5 billion (and growing) people on the planet?

        1. Kayla says:

          Yes, exactly! It’s ridiculous when the march is about climate change and then people indulge in meat and dairy while there–a huge part of the problem.

    3. Vanessa In Toronto says:

      Trying to deny that the meat industry is an enormous contributor to climate change, and global warming, is just as dangerous as trying to deny that global warming is happening at all.
      I see a lot of fingers being pointed at population being the real issue and I don’t disagree – however, the population that is unsustainable isn’t the seven billion humans, but the 60 billion livestock animals.
      People can pretend all the want to – that it isn’t their burgers with bacon toppings that are the real issue. Just as long as everyone remembers that pretending facts don’t exist is exactly what put us where we are today.

Comments are closed.