Dietary guidelines in the U.S. are almost completely bogus. They were severely influenced by lobbyists, not by doctors, and are not grounded in health science. That's why, to this day, they have heavily promoted eating meat, dairy, and eggs - even though this is not what's best for us or for the Earth.
As a result,
these guidelines have been fueling climate change and wide-ranging health issues by encouraging inappropriate levels of meat consumption for generations. Yet so far, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been unwilling to change its dietary recommendations. Why? Because of those same factory farm lobbyists we mentioned earlier.
The USDA must finally put the Earth, human health, and animal welfare first by emphasizing the importance of eating fresh produce, and discouraging consumption of meat and dairy!Animal agriculture is one of the absolute worst contributors to climate change, accounting for a shocking 33% of greenhouse gas emissions. This includes both meat-farming, and factory farming for eggs and dairy.
It's also responsible for poisoning our bodies with food-based carcinogens, to the point that the WHO has gotten involved by labeling meat as frightening cancer-causing. On top of that, factory farms have faced significant lawsuits recently for
poisoning the air and water of low-income and BIPOC communities near industrial farms with toxic feces-infused waste.
So when the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently attended the U.N.'s COP28 climate conference in December, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for the U.S. to address these overlapping issues. Perhaps the USDA could finally do what's right for the Earth, animals, and human health by rewriting its dietary guidelines!
Instead, Secretary Vilsack said he wasn't particularly focused on these topics, or on curtailing meat consumption as a solution to climate change.
There is a fast and easy way for the U.S. government to fight climate change and promote human health. It must rewrite its previous nonsensical, irresponsible dietary guidelines that had promoted use of meat, dairy, and egg products. Sign the petition now!