Op-ed: Protection of animals is essential in fight against climate change

Many of us live our lives without giving much thought to our ecosystem and how we affect it. Furthermore, we might have the idea that we humans are the most important beings and any other creatures on this planet come second. But when we take a closer look, we will find that our role in the ecosystem is not one of true significance.

If anything, we are harming this planet more than we are positively contributing to it. With regard to carbon emissions, the average American is responsible for 19.8 metric tons per person, according to data from The Guardian. These carbon emissions then lead to global warming, causing the Earth’s temperature to slowly increase over time.

Although our role in the Earth’s ecosystem fails to have a positive impact, the animals on this planet, even those associated with animal agriculture, do play an extremely important and positive role. Research published in the Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems shows that grazing herbivores, such as cattle, have a profound impact on carbon dioxide and methane exchanges between Earth and its atmosphere, as well as on the global climate. The study highlights the important role these animals play in their local and global ecosystems. From this, we can see how these effects help reduce climate change and global warming, as well as protect our lives. Stopping the spread of wildfires that destroy the Earth and helping maintain soil are crucial to our planet and its maintenance. This could mean cleaner air and a greater ability to grow and harvest crops. Chickens are another animal typically associated with animal agriculture that play a key role in our ecosystem, with the capability to consume yard waste and food scraps that are sent by the millions of tons to our landfills. Allowing them to serve this purpose could mean less waste, leading to less air and water pollution moving from landfills to the surrounding communities.

From these preceding facts, it is clear that animals’ roles in our ecosystem are critical to our planet and its health. If we let them fulfill their natural role, our planet could have cleaner air, improved soil and fewer wildfires. So why are we killing these animals by the billions every year? Why is it that we are choosing to put their corpses on our plates rather than letting them fulfill their natural role in our ecosystem which ultimately benefits us?

We must think about the role we are playing on this planet. Humans have this strange belief that we are supreme beings and every other creature is meant to serve us. But this is not the case. Animals are not ours to use however we please. Aside from their ecological benefits, they are sentient beings just like you and me. They feel happiness, they feel sadness and they feel pain. When we choose to contribute to animal agriculture and factory farming, we are contributing to their torture and deaths. We are contributing harm to the Earth and fueling global warming by stopping these animals from fulfilling their natural purpose.

On this Earth Day, I encourage you to consider ways to help the planet by protecting these animals. Consider reducing your meat intake or switching to plant-based milk. Whatever choices you make will affect this planet one way or another. The Earth was a gift to us, and we cannot take it for granted.

Sidhu is a third-year political science student and member of California Public Interest Research Group at UCLA and Bruins Opposing Speciesism.