I’m Pro-Environment But Selfishly Still Eat Meat and Travel By Air
It’s really hard to live up to some ideals. Can you do it?
I have always appreciated and respected the idea of being vegan. Not only does it avoid exploiting animals produced in the industrial farming industry, but it also reduces our environmental footprint if we eat chickpeas, tofu, nuts, and black beans instead of chicken, pork, lamb, and beef.
Yet I love meat and cheese and selfishly continue to eat them instead of becoming a full-time vegan. I do try to moderate my consumption so I have incorporated plant-based proteins into my regular diet and reduced my intake of cheese and meat. But I know my environmental footprint is larger than a vegan person’s footprint.
I thought of this after seeing the two comments Michael Nabert left on my recent story, “I Could Survive Without These Ten Luxuries, But They Make Life Better.” I had listed international travel and stated:
“International travel has significant impacts on the climate and I recognize it increases my already large carbon footprint as a privileged American. Yet I am reluctant to eliminate all international travel. I try to compensate for the environmental costs of international travel in other ways (e.g., relying on clean energy after having installed two…
