What would happen if the world suddenly went vegetarian?

People become vegetarians for a variety of reasons. Some do it to alleviate animal suffering, others because they want to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Still others are fans of sustainability or wish to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Eliminating meat from our diets would bring a bounty
 of benefits to both our own health and the planet’s
 – but it could also harm millions of people.

No matter how much their carnivorous friends might deny it, vegetarians have a point: cutting out meat delivers multiple benefits. And the more who make the switch, the more those perks would manifest on a global scale.

But if everyone became a committed vegetarian, there would be serious drawbacks for millions, if not billions, of people.

“It’s a tale of two worlds, really,” says Andrew Jarvis of Colombia’s International Centre for Tropical Agriculture. “In developed countries, vegetarianism would bring all sorts of environmental and health benefits. But in developing countries there would be negative effects in terms of poverty.”

Read Rachel Nuwer’s BBC story - “What would happen if the world suddenly went vegetarian?”

When will humans be horrified by climate change? When the media give it the coverage it deserves

To the editor: We hear a variety of explanations for the American public’s lack of real alarm about climate change: The science requires a fair amount of explanation; the enormity of the effects will become indisputable only at some future date; and economic interests and ideological momentum keep society moving along well-worn paths. (“Why the wiring of our brains makes it hard to stop climate change,” Opinion, Sept. 17)

But we are homo sapiens, the “clever humans” whose technology has transformed our planet. Are we really incapable of recognizing an existential threat and moving quickly enough to avert catastrophe?

Pedestrians walk in a flooded street as Tropical Storm Irma hits Charleston, S.C. on Sept. 11.

Read the Letters to the Editor in the Los Angeles Times - “When will humans be horrified by climate change? When the media give it the coverage it deserves.”