Wegetarianizm ekologiczny jako ratunek dla klimatu i środowiska. Wybrane problemy i kierunki proekologicznych działań

Environmental vegetarianism as a rescue for the climate and the environment. Selected problems and directions of pro-ecological activities In times of the current climate and ecological crisis, actions to counteract the problems that generate it are extremely important. The purpose of this chapter is to analyze issues related to vegetarianism from an ecological perspective and to show that a plant-based diet, or one that restricts the consumption of meat and dairy products, is to some extent a salvation for the climate and the environment. This chapter has three main parts. The first deals with the most important issues related to vegetarianism, both in the context of diet and in the ethical dimension, such as the excessive exploitation of animals by humans and cruelty towards them, which is the starting point for further analysis. After that the chapter focuses on the issues of factory farming and consumption of animal products on a large scale. It presents a number of environmental and climate problems caused by these issues. These matters are discussed primarily as part of the analysis of scientific research in this area. On this basis, it was found, that if people do not follow the current recommendations to reduce the consumption of meat and dairy products, it will make other measures to prevent the advancing climate and ecological crisis ineffective. The last part of the chapter deals with the actions that the third sector is taking to solve these problems. This is illustrated by the example of two non-governmental organizations – Otwarte Klatki and Greenpeace. The chapter highlights the fact that such organizations can encourage positive behaviors and attitudes by promoting a plant-based diet, and may play an important role in terms of systemic change. Moreover, it is signaled that their social campaigns concerning the promotion of a menu excluding meat constitute one of the directions of pro-ecological activities in this context