I am an environmentalist. But, I am not a vegetarian. That does not make me a hypocrite.
Last month, Noble Prize winner Al Gore was criticized for pronouncing the fortunes of “An Inconvenient Truth,” but refusing to stick to a vegetarian diet.
And while the perils of meat production do account for a huge chunk of greenhouse gases, there is still a way to acknowledge these environmental concerns without completely denouncing the evils of the hamburger.
Ingrid Newkirk of PETA recently discussed in Time magazine how eating vegetarian just one day a week can help save animals’ lives (as well as aid the environment).
Such an idea is an extremely reasonable compromise for novice environmentalists, such as myself and other students, who are interested in trying out the world of vegetarianism, but are still hesitant to take a plunge into the meatless side.
Going vegetarian just once a week may seem like a pathetic endeavor for dedicated vegetarians, vegans and sustainable eaters, but we shouldn’t see
environmentally friendly eating in terms of an all-or-nothing mentality.
According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, a vegetarian is one who does not eat meat, fish or poultry.
And for someone such as myself, who is accustomed to eating such foods on a daily basis, giving up this established diet can be a tough challenge both mentally and physically.
It’s not as if I didn’t try. College served as the prime opportunity for me to explore many different ideas, studies and even dietary choices, as it was my first time living away from home.
But as many other Bruins and college students across the nation can attest, such a period of experimentation often results in a lot of trial and error.
Of course, the facts are very clear regarding a meat-eating diet: meat production contributes to problems of climate change, animal cruelty, greenhouse gas emissions and various other kinds of pollution.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that the ranching and slaughter of cows and other animals generates an estimated 18 percent of total human-induced greenhouse gas emissions globally.
The energy and fuel that is poured into meat production breaches all levels ““ from the resources needed to grow crops for animal feed to the factory-packaging state, to the gasoline needed for transporting the meat to markets and restaurants.
Even Gore’s Nobel Prize companion Rajendra Pachauri, an established vegetarian and environmentalist, conceded that the best thing people can do to reduce the damages of global warming is to drive less and switch to vegetarianism.
Indeed, scientists agree that producing 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of meat results in more carbon dioxide emissions than a three-hour drive while leaving all the lights on at home.
But chanting “Meat is murder on the planet!” completely disregards the beginning efforts of those who are environmentally conscious, but not necessarily full-time vegetarian.
We meat-eating environmentalists do care about our ecological impact, evaluate our carbon footprint and continue to do our part in terms of living sustainability.
But, in truth, we can’t make the complete transition toward vegetarianism.
Nutritional concerns and time constraints are part of what’s holding us back.
Sure, the American Dietetic Association has affirmed that a vegetarian diet can meet all known nutrient needs, but it takes a decent amount of research to make sure one receives enough nutritional essentials such as protein, calcium and iron.
As with any other diet, it is important for everyone to sincerely explore their nutritional options.
An easy diet to follow on one’s meat-free day could include yogurt and a banana for breakfast, cheese pizza for lunch and macaroni and cheese with a side of mashed potatoes for dinner.
Despite the very evident and clear concerns regarding meat production’s ecological damage, I’m not ready to completely forgo my old ways.
But that doesn’t mean I’m an ignorant animal and ozone killer.
For now, I’m happy to make small adjustments in my own diet, while still maintaining the original integrity of the environmental movement.
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E-mail Chung at lchung@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.