news
From HEATED
Summary
- Industrialized animal agriculture is a major contributor to water contamination, droughts, deforestation, and global carbon pollution.
- Meat and dairy consumption could lead to an 80% spike in agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
- Meatposting on social media glorifies the consumption of industrialized meat, providing free marketing for a climate-polluting industry.
Disclaimer: This is a re-worked version of HEATED’s 2021 essay: “Against meatposting.” Its message is directed only at people who care about climate change. If that’s not you, move along—this essay is not for you. In fact, none of our newsletters are. Ta-ta!
Industrialized animal agriculture is one of the largest sources of water contamination in the country. It is a massive contributor to drought in the West; the number one reason for Brazilian Amazon deforestation; and responsible for up to 18 percent of global carbon pollution. The meat industry has been a huge source of suffering and death for workers, particularly during the pandemic. If meat and dairy consumption continue apace, there could be an 80 percent spike in global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050.
This is why I get annoyed when I see purportedly environmentally-concerned people meatposting. Meatposting, a word I made up in 2021, refers to the practice of posting pictures of meat on social media with captions that aggressively glorify its consumption.
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