Why Did COP26 Delegates Receive a Round Tuit From PETA?
Delegates at COP26, the UN climate summit, clearly care about the environment. But some aren’t vegan (yet!) because they haven’t got around to it. So that they have no more excuses, we’ve given them a “round tuit”.
There’s no such thing as a meat-eating or milk-drinking environmentalist
At COP26 and beyond, we must face the facts: raising animals for food is destroying the planet. Animals on factory farms produce billions of kilograms of excrement every day. This waste is often washed into streams and rivers, polluting the water and making it unsafe for human consumption. It also kills entire ecosystems. The River Wye, for example, has been described by locals as “pea soup”, since chicken excrement from nearby factory farms is being flushed into the river, causing deadly algal blooms to spread. This causes river plants and fish, including the native brown trout, chub, and barbel, to die off – in turn, removing food for birds such as the kingfisher. When the waste reaches the ocean, it creates “dead zones” in which virtually all sea animals and plants die.
Meat and dairy production don’t just taint our water – land is also being bulldozed at an alarming rate so that more animals can be raised for meat and more crops can be grown to feed them. We’re losing jungles and ancient forests as well as the plants and animals living in them. According to the United Nations, up to 200 species of plants, insects, and animals become extinct every 24 hours. Our planet has not experienced such an extensive mass extinction event since the time of the dinosaurs.
We must protect the planet – and the animals who call it home
The wildlife whose habitat is being destroyed aren’t the only ones who suffer – the demand for cheap meat and dairy “products” means that animals on farms are afforded little care. Those raised for food are confined by the thousands to filthy, cramped, windowless sheds. Many won’t see the light of day or breathe fresh air until they’re sent on the terrifying trip to the slaughterhouse.
Be part of the solution
We can’t claim to care about the environment while ignoring the issues surrounding the farming of animals. That’s why all of us who care about protecting the planet must ditch the products that are killing both the Earth and the living, feeling beings who live on it.
We can help you do it. Sign up for our World Vegan Month Challenge for November, and we’ll send you tips, recipes, and inspiration to help you get around to it, too.
