Leader of the 'reduceitarian' movement explains why 'strict veganism' is unrealistic for environmentalism
When journalist Chris Hedges became a vegan, he cited environmentalism as one of his reasons for making that decision. Meat production, Hedges has noted, is a source of methane and has contributed to climate change.
But as outspoken as some vegans can be, they continue to be only a small minority of the U.S. population.
And the “reduceitarian” movement views the goals of strict vegans as unrealistic. “Reduceitarians” are people who argue in favor of reducing meat consumption but not necessarily eliminating it altogether, and they often cite climate change as a reason to make that decision.
One of the leaders of the reduceitarian movement is author Brian Kateman, co-founder and president of the Reducetarian Foundation. In an op-ed published by the Daily Beast on January 16, Kateman lays out some reasons why he believes it is unrealistic to think that a big percentage of the U.S. population can be convinced to embrace total veganism.
“A new year is upon us, and with it comes another Veganuary,” Kateman writes. “According to the organizers of the annual campaign, one person is signing up every two seconds this January, a new record. But despite Veganuary’s rapid growth, its participants only represent a minuscule percentage of the population — even smaller than the 3 percent of Americans who already call themselves vegan — and by this time next year, many of this year’s participants will likely return to eating animal products.”
In one sense, many people who embrace a vegan diet end up doing what proponents of the Atkins Diet often end up doing: They fall off the wagon. A vegan diet is the polar opposite of the Atkins Diet, which argues in favor of heavy meat consumption and views simple carbohydrates as the unhealthiest part of the American diet. And just as a modified version of the Atkins diet argues in favor of carb reduction without carb elimination, the reduceitarian diet argues in favor cutting back on meat, fish and eggs without necessarily giving them up completely.
Reduceitarians aren’t anti-vegan, but they believe that realistically, most people won’t be able to stick to a diet that totally excludes not only meat, fish and eggs, but also, cow’s milk, cheese and butter. Kateman cites some examples of celebrities who went vegan but didn’t stick to it.
“By all appearances,” Kateman writes, “Veganuary’s growth is part of a larger pattern. An increasing number of people are experimenting with a vegan diet out of concern for the planet, the wellbeing of animals, and their own health. However, many ultimately become overwhelmed and give up. This includes famous celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Jenna Ortega of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday.’ Indeed, according to a 2014 study by Faunalytics, 84 percent of people who tried a plant-based diet ultimately abandoned it; a 2021 follow-up study found that 43 percent of participants lasted less than six months.”
Among celebrities, “Real Time” host Bill Maher is arguably an example of a well-known reduceitarian. Maher has expressed sympathy for animal rights, and he isn’t against either veganism or vegetarianism. But Maher has also slammed vegans who attack vegetarians for their lack of ideological purity as an example of “wokeness” run amok.
Kateman argues, “Plenty of hardline vegans may disagree, but I think it’s difficult to judge those who fall off the tofu train too harshly. For many people accustomed to more traditional diets, going vegan means learning a whole new repertoire of ingredients and recipes. You have to figure out a way to feed yourself that doesn’t feel like deprivation, which is a major obstacle for many would-be vegans. Premade vegan foods, like plant-based meats you’d buy at the grocery store or meals you’d get from a restaurant, are often priced higher than their non-vegan equivalents. And in many places, these foods just aren’t available. Some family and friends won’t understand, let alone offer support or encouragement, which makes going vegan not only more challenging, but isolating, too.”
Among climate change scientists and environmental reporters, it isn’t hard to find reduceitarian arguments. Such arguments can be found in an article published by the Brookings Institution’s website on January 6 and written by Barry G. Rabe.
Rabe noted, “Climate scientists have long recognized methane as ‘carbon dioxide on steroids,’ a short-lived but highly intensive climate pollutant that possesses more than 80 times the warming power of carbon during its first two decades in the atmosphere. It is responsible for at least one-quarter of the global warming that has already occurred, and aggressive reductions over coming decades could moderate future temperature rises…. In late 2021, the United States and European Union unveiled a Global Methane Pledge, seeking 30 percent reductions globally by 2030 from 2020 levels of human-caused releases across oil and gas as well as other major sectors such as livestock, agriculture, coal mining, and waste.”
Similarly, journalist Hamza Badamasi, in an article published by Earth.org on September 23, 2022, pointed to methane as a cause of permafrost melting.
“Permafrost is a permanently frozen layer below the Earth’s surface, consisting of soil, gravel, and sand, usually bound together by ice,” Badamasi observed. “Accelerating permafrost thaw is an issue of great concern to the scientific community and, increasingly, the general public. Rising temperatures are disrupting the balanced state of an ecosystem leading to the emission of methane, CH4, a potent greenhouse gas. Without urgent action to curtail the warming of our planet, half of the world’s permafrost could disappear by the year 2100…. Permafrost thawing can be controlled by curtailing our carbon footprint, purchasing environmentally friendly goods, and encouraging eco-friendly businesses, regulations, and policies”
Kateman wraps up his Daily Beast op-ed by emphasizing that reduceitarian practices can make a difference even if one doesn’t become a full-fledged vegan or vegetarian.
“Let’s aim to do the best we can to avoid being complicit in animal cruelty, but stop shaming people who deviate from time to time,” Kateman argues. “True vegans are imaginary; nobody is perfect in any dimension. But if we make a genuine effort to make the most ethical choices we can, whenever we can, our impact could be very real; and that would be spectacular.”
