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US Politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been urged to promote vegan food as a more climate-friendly alternative to animal foods following the launch of her Green New Deal manifesto.
Under the resolution, which Democrat Ocasio-Cortez introduced with fellow Congress Member Ed Markey, she calls for a range of economic and environmental measures to transform the US’ energy system and try to fight climate change.
While there has been some controversy around the deal, over its economic feasibility – with critics saying it could cost more than $93 trillion to implement – and its lack of policy specifics, it has also won praise for bringing the climate debate firming into the public arena and winning bipartisan support.
Vegan food
Now animal rights charity PETA has contacted Ocasio-Cortez asking her to ‘help counter the environmental devastation of animal agriculture by including vegan food policies in the proposal, such as a program to make the transition from meat, egg, and dairy farming to plant-based agriculture’.
PETA’s letter states that ‘animal agriculture has been identified as a leading emitter of greenhouse gases and that concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are typically built near low-income communities, where they contaminate the air, soil, and water’.
“Because animal agriculture not only is devastating to animals but also poisons the environment and makes Americans sick, what we need is a Vegan Green New Deal,” PETA President, Ingrid Newkirk, said in a statement. “PETA hopes Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will promote equity, environmental justice, health, and kindness by recognizing the need for vegan food policies.”
Ocasio-Cortez has not yet publically responded to the letter.
