Adopting a vegan diet dramatically reduces one person's impact on the environment

    It would help tackle the problem of climate change if people ate less meat, according to a Government agency.

    A leaked email to a vegetarian campaign group from an Environment Agency official expresses sympathy with the environmental benefits of a vegan diet, which bans dairy products and fish.

    The agency also says the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs （Defra） is considering recommending eating less meat as one of the "key environmental behaviour changes" needed to save the planet.

    It says that this change would have to be introduced "gently" because of "the risk of alienating the public".

    David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, has raised the issue that farm animals are blamed for producing large amounts of the powerful greenhouse gas, methane, and told farmers they need to do something about it but the agency's response appears to go further than official advice.

    It has provoked an immediate response from the National Farmers' Union, which said the suggestion was "simplistic" and "a cause of concern".

    The agency's official was responding to an email from the vegan group Viva, which argues that it is more efficient to use land to grow crops for direct consumption by humans rather than feeding them to dairy cows or livestock raised for meat.

    The campaign group entered a comment on the Environment Agency's website saying: "Adopting a vegan diet reduces one person's impact on the environment even more than giving up their car or forgoing several plane trips a year! Why aren't you promoting this message as part of your [World Environment Day] campaign?"

    An agency official replied: "Whilst potential benefit of a vegan diet in terms of climate impact could be very significant, encouraging the public to take a lifestyle decision as substantial as becoming vegan would be a request few are likely to take up.

    "You will be interested to hear that the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is working on a set of key environmental behaviour changes to mitigate climate change. Consumption of animal protein has been highlighted within that work. As a result the issue may start to figure in climate change communications in the future. It will be a case of introducing this gently as there is a risk of alienating the public majority.

    "Future Environment Agency communications are unlikely to ever suggest adopting a fully vegan lifestyle, but certainly encouraging people to examine their consumption of animal protein could be a key message."

    Juliet Gellatley, director of Viva, said: "I think it is extraordinary that a Government agency thinks becoming a vegetarian or vegan could have such a positive impact for the environment yet it is not prepared to stand up and argue the case."

    A Defra spokesman said: "The Government is not telling people to give up meat. It isn't the role of Government to enforce a dietary or lifestyle change on any individual."

    吃纯素可极大减小个人对环境的影响

    据一政府机构（环境署）称，如果人们减少肉食会有助于解决气候变化的问题。

    一份被泄露的环境署官员致素食运动组织的电子邮件，就纯素食（禁止奶制品和鱼类）对环境的种种益处表示赞同。

    该机构还表示，环境、食品和乡村事务部（Defra）现正考虑建议将少吃肉，作为拯救地球所需"关键的利于环境的行为改变"之一。

    据说，这一改革将要和缓地推出，因有"疏离民众的风险".

    环境部长大卫米利班德，提出了农场动物产生大量强温室气体甲烷而受指责的问题，并告诉农民要对此采取措施，但该机构的反应看来比官方的建议更进一步。

    这立即引起了全国农民联盟的反应，说此建议"过分简单化"并"会引人关注".

    该环境署官员在回应一份Viva素食组织的电子邮件中论述，种植农作物供人类直接食用比喂养奶牛或饲养用于肉食的牲畜，在土地的使用上更有效。

    此素食运动组织在环境署的网站上评论说："吃纯素可减少个人对环境的影响，比不开车或一年中减少几次飞行之旅都更有效！为什么不把这个信息作为你们[世界环境日]活动的一部分来宣传呢？"

    一名环境署官员回复说："虽然纯素食在气候影响方面的潜在利益可能非常重要，但没有什么人会对此请求采取行动，鼓励民众做像吃纯素这样重大生活方式改变的决定。

    "你们会有兴趣知道Defra正在制定一系列关键的利于环境的行为改变以减缓气候变化。其中强调了动物蛋白消费的问题。因此，这个问题可能开始成为未来气候变化交流的一部分。这将会和缓地推出，因有疏离大部分民众的风险。

    "未来的环境署交流不大可能会建议采用完全的纯素生活方式，但无疑鼓励人们审视自己的动物蛋白消费是一个重要的讯息。"

    Viva的负责人朱丽叶格拉特利说："我认为这很奇怪，政府机构既然认为吃素或吃纯素会对环境产生如此积极的影响，却不准备为此站出来说理。"

    Defra发言人说："政府不是要大家放弃肉食。强制改变个人的饮食或生活方式不是政府的职能。"