Ellie Schaufelberger, a freshman at Taylor University, lifts weights and loves beef and steak. Her friends call her “quarter pounder.” She’s not falling in line with the vegans.
“Vegans... I’m probably making up for the meat that you are not eating,” she said.
Like Schaufelberger, many Americans are hesitant to reduce meat consumption for the sake of the environment. She said meat supports nutrition and muscle growth.
Scott Gaier, director of the academic enrichment center at Taylor University, agreed that meat is important for good health. But he thinks consumers can eat meat while respecting the environment, though this looks different for each person.
Gaier raises his own cattle for meat. His family aims to farm 70% of the foods they consume. Gaier said while he originally farmed to save money, this goal transitioned into honoring Christ through sustainable food consumption.
He said meat can be consumed in an environmentally friendlier way than even vegan foods, which waste water resources and transportation energy. The biggest concern on the horizon for climate change activists is water waste, something vegetable farming majorly contributes to, he said.
"If you say, ‘Okay, I want to be vegan or vegetarian,’ you're still creating quite a bit of drain on resources,” he said. "We can raise all the meat we want...our carbon footprint, or our impact on resources, is very minimal.”
Meat substitutes, as well as produce, are often environmentally taxing. Additionally, they often fail to offer the wide variety of essential nutrients meat offers, according to Clean Eating Kitchen. The vast majority of meat- free dieters encounter health problems, they said.
Vegan diets drain more energy through transportation than locally grown, easily accessed meat. They also spread the negative effects of climate change to vulnerable people groups around the world.
“When you spread it out to other people around the world, it’s the people who have the least ability for adaptation or resiliency to the changes that suffer the most,” Michael Guebert, professor of geology and environmental science at Taylor University, said. “And for that, all of us bear some responsibility.”
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon found fruits and vegetables more environmentally harmful than red meat. Their study demonstrated that healthy foods require greater resource expenditure and greenhouse gas emissions per calorie, according to Medical Daily.
Thus, consuming locally or regeneratively raised meat may be more responsible than veganism for some people. Regeneratively raised meat is more sustainable and humane. According to Biospan, the greenhouse gases regenerative farming emissions are significantly lower.
Additionally, meat doesn’t contribute as largely to climate change as factors such as transportation and industry. Medical Daily said cattle are only responsible for 6 percent of global emissions. Electricity and heat production yield 25 percent, transportation 14 percent and industry 21 percent.
Guebert supports meat reduction rather than elimination from the diet. He said reducing meat consumption is part of a portfolio of changes necessary to combat climate change, but that it’s not the first priority.
“It’s not a bad thing to continue to eat some meat,” he said. “Because we do need some protein in our diet.”
Biospan, a business providing local, sustainable food to customers, says animal foods are essential to health. Many meats offer essential nutrients that are difficult and even impossible to get from plant-based protein sources
Eradicating meat from the diet can lead to protein deficiency, which results in health consequences including anemia, neurological disorders and impaired immune function.
Guebert said it’s not realistic to call for a universal mandate banning meat.
“It’s not likely that we’re going to stop eating meat,” he said. “We cannot quickly or completely change from fossil fuels to renewable energy, as that transition is going to take time. The same is true for meat consumption. So, we need to be realistic in our society, especially in the West and in the US.”
Matthew Renfrow, the dean of natural and applied sciences at Taylor University, agreed that protein is important for good health.
Protein offers essential amino acids the human body can’t self-produce, he said.
Renfrow added that protein constitutes significant bodily matter. People lacking adequate protein can suffer muscle and bone waste, he said.
“If you are deficient,” he said, “Nails, hair, skin, muscle...are made of protein and are going to waste (away).”
Rather than eliminating meat, people should focus on consuming quality animal products locally sourced or regeneratively farmed when they are able to. This minimal-impact approach supports individuals’ health. Americans shouldn’t sacrifice their sanity, health, time, energy and money toward meat consumption.
Gaier said that while he farms to aid the environment and maintain good health, there’s no universal way to ethically consume meat. People have varying time, resources and money, he said. He said farming isn’t possible for most people, and recommended people consider their resources, lifestyle, access and convictions as they consume meat.
Gaier said this could mean growing a small garden, prioritizing whole foods or purchasing organic meats. What matters is that people do the best they can according to their personal resources and convictions.
“Just be a good steward,” he said. “It's God's creation. Take responsibility for what you do, what you contribute. Try to be a part of a solution, not part of a problem.”
