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IF WE SHOULD NOT EAT MEAT ON GROUNDS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, SHOULD WE HAVE CHILDREN?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 April 2020

Adrian Brockless
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Abstract

The aim of this article is not to make any arguments that oppose veganism or having children or, in any way, to denigrate those who make them. Rather, the intention is twofold: (1) To attack the inconsistency of those who make arguments for veganism in relation to climate change and the natural world, but who omit to make arguments against having children and the problem of rapidly increasing global population on the same grounds. (2) To attack a form of sanctimony which manifests itself in inconsistent applications of such arguments and which exploits genuine and very serious problems in ways that aim to bring power to their advocates by inducing a sense of shame in their victims. In this way, such moralists try to strengthen the legitimacy of their own preferences – preferences that often run into conflict with other concerns based on the same arguments.

Type
Research Article
Information
Think , Volume 19 , Issue 55 , Summer 2020 , pp. 55 - 63
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Philosophy 2020

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References

Notes

1 Foresight, The Future of Food and Farming: Challenges and Choices for Global Sustainability. Final Project Report (London: The Government Office for Science,  2011).

2 Fifth National Report to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity: United Kingdom (Peterborough: JNCC, 2014).

3 R. Monk, ‘Philosopher Ray Monk: why I went vegan’, Financial Times, <https://www.ft.com/content/df4a8600-bb9f-11e8-8274-55b72926558f> [accessed 17 December 2018].

4 IPCC Reports Aviation, <https://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/sres/aviation/126.htm> [accessed 21 November 2018].

5 Source: @Raymodraco Twitter feed.

6 Ibid.

7 Office for National Statistics (ONS): National Population Projections: 2016-Based Statistical Bulletin, <https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/bulletins/nationalpopulationprojections/2016basedstatisticalbulletin> [accessed 17 December 2018].

8 D. Attenborough, 2011 RSA President's Lecture: People and Planet, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sP291B7SCw> [accessed 17 December 2018].

9 D. Carrington, ‘Huge reduction in meat-eating ‘essential’ to avoid climate breakdown’, The Guardian, <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/10/huge-reduction-in-meat-eating-essential-to-avoid-climate-breakdown> [accessed 17 December 2018].

10 D. Carrington, ‘Huge reduction in meat-eating ‘essential’ to avoid climate breakdown’, The Guardian, <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/10/huge-reduction-in-meat-eating-essential-to-avoid-climate-breakdown> [accessed 17 December 2018].

11 R. Read, Shed a Light: This Civilisation is Finished: So What is To Be Done? (2018) [podcast], <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzCxFPzdO0Y> [accessed 17 December 2018].