- Question
Should we stop eating meat for the environment?
Several forms of pollution - e.g. deforestation, eutrophication of water, leaching of nitrates, antibacterial resistance, release of ammonia, nitrous oxides and methane in the atmosphere - are associated to livestock production. Should we stop eating meat to prevent major environmental pollution?
Yes - We should all stop eating meat
This position holds that we should stop eating meat to protect the environment. It argues that livestock production drives deforestation, releases polluting greenhouse gases, fuels antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and causes irreversible water pollution through eutrophication.
No - The consumption of livestock products should be diminished but not eliminated
This position holds that we should reduce, not eliminate, meat and dairy for the environment. It argues that cutting livestock products to a sustainable level would ease their environmental harm — and that expecting everyone to give up meat entirely is simply unrealistic.
No - livestock production is not a truly significant cause of pollution
The putative environmental benefits associated to ending meat and dairy consumption are not significative when compared to other forms of pollution such as the one from the transportation or the chemical processing sectors
No - It is hard to maintain a nutritious diet
Meat contains important nutrients such as Vitamin B6 and B12 that are more difficult to obtain when eating plant-based, especially for those who lack time and resources for getting supplements or specific groceries.