Beef Buzz News
Animal Activist Groups Blame Animal Agriculture for Climate Change and Pandemics
Fri, 17 Dec 2021 11:31:37 CST
Animal rights extremist groups are citing sustainability issues in their fight against animal agriculture. Today, we pick up the conversation with Hannah Thompson-Weeman, director of development and communications strategy for Animal Agriculture Alliance, where we left off yesterday. If you missed yesterday's conversation, check it out here.
"Sustainability has taken up more of our time at the alliance than anything else over the past year," Weeman said. "Really, animal welfare has been our bread and butter since we got started in the late 80s."
The climate conversation is what is in vogue with these groups now because the Biden-Harris administration and media are so tuned into the issue, according to Weeman.
"Saying 'go vegan' for decades did not work, targeting animal welfare has not worked, so now they are turning to the climate conversation," Weeman said. "(They) are saying, 'if you care about your environmental impact, the number-one thing you need to do is go vegan,' even though that does not have support in sound science."
In response to the baseless claims by animal rights extremist groups, the beef community, including the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Beef Checkoff, have stepped up to educate consumers. Weeman said the climate conversation is going to continue to dominate the news and the agriculture community has to do everything it can to set the record straight.
Earlier this year, the beef industry highlighted new ways science accounts for methane and announced a plan to become carbon neutral by 2040.
In addition to claims from animal rights extremist groups that animal agriculture contributes to global climate change, they are beginning to say the industry also contributes to global pandemics.
"Whether it is the COVID-19 pandemic or whatever the next pandemic might be, they are trying to connect modern animal agriculture (with) the next pandemic," Weeman said. "They are playing off of people's fear. People want to be safe and there is a lot of confusion."
Despite the efforts of the agriculture industry to educate consumers and make animal proteins as safe as possible, in some places these extreme agendas are gaining momentum, according to Weeman.
"We saw ballot-initiative campaigns in states over the past year that were of concern," Weeman said.
Efforts from these groups are paying off at the federal level, all the way down to the local level, she added.
Click on the LISTEN BAR below to hear more from Ron Hays and Hannah Thompson-Weeman as they talk more about pushback from groups that oppose animal agriculture in the U.S.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
Photo: PETA joins COP26 marchers in Glasgow, England.
Listen to Ron's conversation with Hannah here.
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