On March 20, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its latest assessment on climate change, drawing on the findings of hundreds of scientists throughout the world. The assessment details the devastating impacts of rising greenhouse gas emissions, including destruction of homes, loss of crops, and fragmentation of communities. Animal agriculture is responsible for at least 15% of man-made greenhouse gas emissions, including nitrous oxide from animal waste piles, methane from ruminant digestion, and carbon dioxide from burning forests to create animal pastures. In an environmentally sustainable world, meat and dairy products in our diet must be replaced by vegetables, fruits, and grains, just as fossil fuels are replaced by wind, solar, and other emission-free energy sources. Our favorite supermarket offers a rich variety of plant-based meat and dairy products. It enables each of us to reduce our carbon footprint, even as we improve our health and reduce animal cruelty.

Abraham Buchholtz

Amherst

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