Climate Change and Moral Meat

Last updated on: November 10, 2018 at 9:43 pm by Clint Schnekloth

Climate Change and Moral Meat 2018-11-10T21:43:31-05:00 Clint Schnekloth

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Contemporary denial of climate change is not unlike the Galileo affair around 1610. The church and many religious leaders of that era resisted evidence of a heliocentric universe presented by Galileo, so much so that Galileo famously wrote, “My dear Kepler, I wish that we might laugh at the remarkable stupidity of the common herd. What do you have to say about the principal philosophers of this academy who are filled with the stubbornness of an asp and do not want to look at either the planets, the moon or the telescope, even though I have freely and deliberately offered them the opportunity a thousand times? Truly, just as the asp stops its ears, so do these philosophers shut their eyes to the light of truth.”

In 2018, the religiously led denial of climate change is equally stubborn. However, in our day such denial has real world consequences. In fact, scientists now conclude that we only have until about 2030 to make rapid and far-reaching changes in order to stem catastrophic climate change.

If we are going to make changes, it would seem wise to spend our energy advocating for the changes that will have the most significant impact. Where to focus? Well, producing meat has a larger environmental impact than nearly any other human activity. Livestock and poultry production takes up about 80% of our global agricultural land, is responsible for 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions (more than the entire transportation industry), consumes 30% of global freshwater, is the main source of water pollution in the U.S. and has contributed significantly here locally to Buffalo River impairment.

The bulk of meat’s environmental impact comes from the vast quantities of corn and soy used to feed livestock and poultry. And the truth is, we know simple practices that can dramatically reduce pollution from these fields, including cover cropping and conservation tillage, optimizing fertilizer application to prevent excess runoff, and a moratorium on further clearance of native ecosystems.

The question remains, who has the authority and ability to encourage or make such changes? Mostly, the answer is market forces. A very small handful of companies control 50-75% of the major meat markets in the United States, so the policies set by these few companies shape almost all agricultural practice in the United States. These companies will make such changes in their supply chains only or primarily if they understand them to be in their economic self-interest.

In the current economic and political climate, it is most likely that corporations will influence one another for positive change. Most of our major corporations, including those in Northwest Arkansas, have so influenced governmental regulations and bought politicians with their lobbying funds that mixed economy checks-and-balances are not working. But if we can get companies like Whole Foods and McDonalds, both of whom have huge buying power and have made commitments to sustainability, to clean up their supply chains, it would influence suppliers like Tyson to follow through on their commitment to being the most sustainable protein producer.

Currently, neither Whole Foods nor McDonalds have environmental requirements for the meat they buy. If they did, they would literally have a greater net effect than any other entities on the planet to reduce pollution and encourage environmentally sustainable farming practices that protect waters, forests, and our climate. If we wish to raise our moral voice for the sake of our planet, calling on those who supply our meat to clean up their supply chain is without a doubt the best place to start.

Previous Post

November 2, 2018

Stranging The 80/20 Rule

Next Post

November 22, 2018 The Heresy of America First

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #blacklivesmatter advocacy Avengers baptisms Capitalism church growth clergy silence corporate ethics Creation Care Donald Trump elections Evangelicals Evangelism Friendship hermeneutics Immigration Intersex introverts Jesus Labor Liturgy Lutheran MLK Jr. New urbanism Pentecost philanthropy Poem political theology Post-program church Prayer private devotion Reformation Refugees sacraments Scripture Secularity Sin small church social media Sovereignty Trauma-Informed Theology travel Trump Uncategorized wealth white supremacy Workers worship Youth

Select a Month January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 January 2016 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 May 2014 March 2014 June 2013 January 2013 December 2011 December 2010 February 2005 February 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which empire destroyed the First Temple in Jerusalem?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Roman Empire Persian Empire Assyrian Empire Babylonian Empire

Books by This Author Books by Clint Schnekloth

See All Titles »