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Eating as Though the Earth Matters
Cowspiracy Conversation
Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn with Environmental
Editor Dale Lugenbehl
Editor’s note: From time to time, I receive negative comments
from our members about our series “Eating as Though the Earth
Matters.” The subject matter is, indeed, an uncomfortable one
for meat eaters. (I am one.) But if you are of a mind to reduce
your own impact on the climate crisis, contribute to the humane
treatment of agricultural anaimals, and save for future genera-
tions the habitat that sustains all species on our magical planet,
I would hope you find enough truth in these words to consider
some of the changes this column suggests. I do, and I have made
changes as a result.
The recent documentary Cowspiracy (executive director
Leonardo DiCaprio), and the follow-up book The Sustain-
ability Secret, have been powerful forces in waking people up
to the fact that the animal
food industry is the main
driving force behind climate
change and destruction of
the environment. These
two projects are the work of
Kip Andersen and Keegan
Kuhn, who recently talked
about these developments
with American Vegan En-
vironmental Editor Dale
Lugenbehl.
Dale: Kip, you recently returned from the climate talks
in Paris. What is your analysis of the climate talks and the
agreement reached?
Kip: It was extremely frustrating in that animal agriculture
as a cause of climate change was not being discussed in any
of the main talks or conferences. What was exciting, though,
was that in the hallways everywhere we went, people would
constantly come up to us and want to talk. Cowspiracy and the
facts of animal agriculture are being talked about a lot infor-
mally, and it’s clear there has been a real shift in perception. In
a year, it will be a big part of the center-stage discussion. The
Paris conference this year seemed like a marketing gimmick,
patting people on the back and thinking that they’re doing
something when they are not really doing a thing.
Dale: What led you to decide to make Cowspiracy and write
the follow-up book The Sustainability Secret?
Kip: What motivated me most was calling the environmental
organizations out for deliberately not talking about
animal agriculture. They already know about
this information, but these organizations are
more concerned about their own survival
than the survival of the planet. Rather than
risk their donor base, they are telling people
what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear—the
truth about how animal agriculture is destroying the planet.
They garner hundreds of millions of dollars world-wide in the
name of the environment and then focus attention on other
issues that aren’t as urgent as animal agriculture.
Dale: It’s stunning—this information has been out there
at least since 1970 when Frances Moore Lappe wrote Diet for
a Small Planet. It strikes me that environmental organizations
that say nothing about animal agriculture are simply enabling
people’s dysfunctional behavior. It allows people to say: “If this
stuff about animal agriculture and the environment were true,
we would be hearing about it from Greenpeace and 350.org
and we’re not, so it can’t possibly be true.” So the question then
becomes: What can we do to get major environmental organiza-
tions to address the issue of animal agriculture in connection
with climate change and environmental degradation?
Keegan: Members of these groups can call, email, write,
and speak out at events and demand that their donations
be used towards properly addressing animal agriculture as
the single most destructive
industry facing the planet.
Organizations have an ob-
ligation to listen to donors.
Otherwise donors can email
these organizations and tell
them they are removing their
donor money and why. It’s
that simple.
Kip: Another thing we
can do is use social media and
infiltrate the messaging—
almost half allow you to cross over to animal agriculture. If,
for example, the online conversation is about fracking, add
something to the thread like “Yes, fracking is detrimental,
but look at how it is compared to animal agriculture—the
water consumption—the water pollution….” Constantly tag
in the comments, so it’ll link the conversations back to ani-
mal agriculture so people know the entire truth. And if we
constantly keep doing this, it will force them to have to talk
about it. Also insert information about websites where they
can get more information.
A third strategy is to use the same tactics that they use
against corporations or the government—go to Greenpeace,
or Sierra Club, or 350.org rallies with other people and hold
up signs whether, it’s “Cowspiracy” or “Speak the whole truth
about animal agriculture.” People are actually doing these
things, and it is working.
Dale: What can we do to get government to address the
issue of animal agriculture in connection with climate change
and environmental degradation?
Keegan: Many of the statistics in our film Cowspiracy
and book The Sustainability Secret come directly from U.S.
government agencies such as the EPA, USDA, or USGS. The
government is already aware of the issue but cannot act without
Summer - 2016
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