Cyndi's Two Cents

Climate change and animal rights

Commentary.

A California congressman is trying to persuade his cohorts on the Animal Protection Caucus to participate in “Meatless Mondays” in an effort to bring attention to animal welfare issues and the role livestock production plays in climate change. “The production of meat employs a tremendously wasteful amount of resources,” Rep. Tony Cardenas wrote in a letter to caucus colleagues. “By going meat-free even one day a week, we can help conservation efforts and take one more action to help mitigate the threat of global climate change.”

If an adult in America decides to give up meat, the choice is his (or hers) to make.  When a lawmaker elected to make laws for the citizens of this country decides to use his position as a bully pulpit to further his personal mission as an animal rights advocate, it is troubling.  Perhaps it is because of the unsavory tactics used by many animal rights advocates. 

The California Democrat defines caucuses as groups formed by Representatives who share something in common, be it geography, policy interests, ethnicity, ideology or even a shared love for a particular food or drink.  Seriously? Love for a particular food or drink?  Form a club, not a caucus.  Or is that what most caucuses truly are?  Seems like a big waste of time for those who can’t seem to move the needle when it comes to little things like the economy and a disappearing middle class.

If Representative Cardenas is serious about reducing his carbon footprint and that of his fellow congressmen, perhaps he should encourage implementation of “Turn off the lights when you leave the room Tuesday” and make sure the monitors on all those energy sucking computers are turned off if no one is going to be using them for 20 minutes.

Perhaps the congressman could convince the Animal Protection Caucus to participate in “Use less air conditioning and heating Wednesday.”  They could install weather stripping and caulking around doors and windows in their office buildings.  They could turn down the thermostat and wear long underwear to work. 

Representative Cardenas could persuade his buddies to participate in “Clean your plate Thursday” to cut down on the emissions of transporting the wasted food to the garbage dump and the emissions of food decomposition, mostly in the form of greenhouse gases.   He could lead the charge to get rid of all paper napkins, plastic utensils, paper plates and Styrofoam cups on Capitol Hill.   

How many members of the Animal Protection Caucus limit travel to that in which public transportation can take them to their destination?  How many walk or bike, thus burning less fuel and releasing fewer emissions into the atmosphere?  Perhaps the congressman could lead his colleagues in that direction. 

There are many things that we all could and probably should do to limit our individual carbon footprint.  I applaud those who set good examples for the rest of us.  But don’t confuse Representative Cardenas efforts to “help conservation efforts and take one more action to help mitigate the threat of global climate change.” 

This isn’t about climate change.  It’s about animal rights.

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