James Cameron: Curb climate change by not eating meat

By Joshua Axelrod, Joshua Axelrod

Published December 20, 2015

Director and activist James Cameron has a simple solution for halting the effects of climate change: Stop eating meat.

"Animal agriculture is a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions through its production of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxides," he wrote in an op-ed for Newsweek. "If you look at the forcing effect of animal agriculture — and this is just animal agriculture — it's actually larger than the entire transportation sector."

The "Avatar" and "Titanic" director argued that while we need to reduce fossil fuel emissions from power plants, ending our reliance on animal-based food products would make a larger impact in the fight against climate change. We need transportation, he wrote, but we do not need to continue eating animals.

"I'm not saying that from an ethical, animal-rights standpoint; I'm saying it from a health standpoint," Cameron said. "Nutritionally, we don't need to eat animals and animal products. And we're actually much healthier if we don't. This has been proven; there's a depth and breadth of scientific analysis behind that statement."