ENVIRONMENT
Environmental groups join
animal activists in fight against meat
by Cheryl Byrne, Senior Vice President and Partner and
Ande Leslie, Associate – v-Fluence Interactive Public Relations
GreenPeace issues climate change report focusing on
agriculture production
GreenPeace is an organization that claims dedication to
“exposing global environmental problems and promoting
solutions for a green future.” As the largest environmental
organization in the world with several million members (and a
large base of financial resources), GreenPeace has employed
a variety of tactics and tools to attract public attention.
Summary
There once existed a clear line between environmental
groups and animal activists, but the line is quickly becoming
blurred. Not only are environmental groups taking an
anti-meat position; anti-meat groups are taking a stance on
environmental issues. The link is evident in the increas
-ingly common partnerships between environmental and
animal activist groups, leading to greater visibility,
attention and victories.
Background
Sierra Club supports animal rights activists
The Sierra Club is the oldest environmental group in the
United States and runs a strong campaign against animal
agriculture. The club publicly supports People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) in its campaign for a meatfree diet. The Sierra Club also promotes the Physician’s
Committee for Responsible Medicine’s “Vegetarian Starter
Kit,” and in 2000 announced it would begin to sue large
livestock operations as a premise for sustainability.
As part of the group’s global warming and energy
campaign, GreenPeace recently released a report that
examines the effects of agriculture, especially livestock
production, on global warming. The report, “Cool farming:
Climate impacts of agriculture and mitigation potential,”
claims that livestock production is responsible for up to 60
percent of greenhouse gases. Professor Pete Smith, a lead
author for the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change report, and his research team at the University of
Aberdeen wrote the GreenPeace report.
In addition to global warming, GreenPeace is an active
opponent of genetically-modified foods and is responsible
for creating and placing its own food “warning” labels on
consumer food products.
GreenPeace is linked to several of the same advocacy
groups affiliated with the Sierra Club, including the Center
for Food Safety, Center for Science in the Public Interest, the
Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), PETA and the
Union of Concerned Scientists. Each of these organizations
also works to extend GreenPeace issues beyond the
environmental sphere.
Lisa Renstrom, Chair of Sierra Club’s board of directors
explained, “The [Sierra] Club could begin to include animal
rights positions in decades to come as members and the
American public acknowledge the impact of our high animal
protein diet on sustainability.”
In 1999, the Sierra Club joined with GreenPeace and
the Union of Concerned Scientists in the fight against
genetically modified foods. The club also is connected to
the Center for Food Safety, Center for Science in the Public
Interest, EarthSave International, Chefs Collaborative, Farm
Sanctuary, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy,
the Organic Consumers Association and other like-minded
organizations.
EarthSave International links global warming
with animal agriculture
The Sierra Club budget is supported by well-funded
foundations including the $24 million Nathan Cummings
Foundation, the $60 million Tides Foundation and the $38
million Joyce Foundation. In addition to supporting the
Sierra Club, the Joyce Foundation also supports the Union of
Concerned Scientists, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade
Policy and the Institute for Environment and Agriculture.
EarthSave International, a relatively new and small
activist group created in 1988, exists to “promote a
plant-based diet.” This includes producing reports that link
global warming with animal agriculture, advocating against
“factory farming” and spreading inaccurate health claims
associated with consuming meat.
Jeff Nelson, heir to the Armour meatpacking empire,
currently resides as the vice chairperson, owns and operates
http://www.VegSource.com, one of the most visible food
Web sites on the Internet. VegSource not only promotes
a vegetarian lifestyle, but also offers information and
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links to Internet content regarding bovine spongiform
encephalopathy, increased cancer risks associated with meat
consumption and other false health claims.
Key Points
• Influential environmental groups, like the Sierra
Club and GreenPeace, are growing stronger with
the support and association of visible animal
rights activists, like PETA, and vice-versa.
Advisors to EarthSave International include John
McDougall, a prominent online advocate for vegetarian
diets; Frances Moore Lappe, co-founder of Food First and
author of “Diet for a Small Planet,” Neal Barnard of the
Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine and Ingrid
Newkirk of PETA.
• EarthSave and other small advocacy groups
are making their mark in the activist world by
collaborating with larger campaigns and groups.
EarthSave also is connected to the Public Health
Advocacy Institute, Farm Animal Reform Movement,
Organic Consumers Association, Center for Food Safety and
Center for Science in the Public Interest.
• Activists and advisors often are associated
with multiple organizations, leading to financial
influence and effective collaborations.
v-Fluence Interactive Public Relations, Inc. is a public
affairs and issues management firm that helps clients take
advantage of the Internet and manage online risks. The
v-Fluence team includes former journalists, Capitol Hill
staff, U.S. Government officials, corporate communications
directors, marketing specialists and senior public affairs
staff, each with more than 15 years of experience.
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