There’s science behind the ’meat ban’ debate

So, I heard on Fox News that President Joe Biden may be banning meat to combat global warming. Then I remembered that Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis had issued a proclamation calling for less meat consumption last month.

My first reaction was, what kind of cockamamie idea will the Democrats cook up next? But then I read the article they quoted, and it made a bit more sense.

Apparently, a University of Michigan research report found that replacing 50 percent of animal products with plant-based foods would prevent more than 1.6 billion tons of greenhouse gasses by 2030, which is Biden’s target date for a 50 percent reduction in emissions.

Another article I found in The Guardian, argues that animal farming is a major driver of climate change, as well as air and water pollution, soil depletion, and destruction of wildlife habitats.

It’s possible that, in an environmentally sustainable world, we may eventually need to replace meat and other animal products with vegetables, fruits, and grains, just as we replace fossil fuels with wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources.

I may look and see what the internet and my local supermarket have to offer in terms of plant-based meat products.

Cecil Roper

Cedar Rapids