To the Editors:

I appreciated Sheridan Blitz’s piece on the values of veganism, “Veganism Offers Sustainable Choice” (The Oberlin Review, Sept. 29, 2017). Paul Hawken’s book, Drawdown, lists “the top 100 solutions to global warming,” and the number four most effective action, according to Hawken’s team, is a “plant-rich diet.” Hawken writes, “If cattle were their own nation, they would be the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases. According to a 2016 study, business-as-usual emissions could be reduced by as much as 70 percent through adopting a vegan diet and 63 percent for a vegetarian diet, which includes cheese, milk, and eggs. Making the transition to a plant-based diet may be the most effective way an individual can stop climate change.” Paul Hawken also says that the single most important legislative solution to global warming is the “carbon fee and dividend” proposal of the nonpartisan group Citizens’ Climate Lobby. The Oberlin chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby meets on the second Saturday of every month, from 1–2:45 p.m. at the Oberlin Public Library. You can email [email protected] for more information. We would love to have you join us!

– John Sabin
Volunteer Group Leader
Oberlin Chapter, Citizens’ Climate Lobby