Sir, – John Rogers (March 29th) suggests that a diet of "good Irish Angus steak, spuds and onions . . . all with single-figure food miles" is more environmentally friendly than a vegan one. The Irish agricultural sector produces 30 per cent of the total of all Irish greenhouse gas emissions, while employing 5 per cent of the workforce to contribute 1 per cent to GDP, which is hardly a model of either ecological or economic rationality. – Yours, etc,
CONOR RODDY
Muskegon,
Michigan.
Sir, – John Rogers suggests that a vegan who consumes imported plant foods is contributing more to global warming than someone who consumes the flesh of an Irish cow. However, animal agriculture contributes more greenhouse gas emissions emissions than the entire transport sector combined.
Eliminating our use of other animals as food is not only the least we can do in order to be fair to other sentient life, it is also the most conscientious and effective thing we can do if we are concerned about the planet we live on and that we leave behind us for our children to inherit. – Yours, etc,
SANDRA HIGGINS,
Director,
Go Vegan World,
Eden Farm
Animal Sanctuary,
Chamberstown House,
Slane,
Co Meath.