Environmental and Ethical Dimensions of Vegetarianism
This three-session seminar will consider what it means to have a vegetarian lifestyle in a crowded, complex, interconnected world. The main objective is to give you some food for thought about how your dietary choices align with your values and your hopes for the future.
We will start with an overview of why people choose to be vegetarians, including some historical perspectives, and will briefly look at potential health benefits and pitfalls.
The second session will focus on environmental impacts. What is the difference in resource inputs between a vegetarian diet and an omnivore diet? Can vegetarians meaningfully reduce their carbon footprints?
In the last session, we will consider the implications of our diet decisions on the animals we use for food. What is our responsibility for humane treatment in the animal agriculture industry? Are your eating choices consistent with your values?
Throughout our time together I hope we will have a thoughtful exchange of experiences and perspectives about how what we eat affects ourselves and the world.
Facilitator: Bruce Englebert
Englebert spent 32 years with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Energy and the President’s Council on Environmental Quality. He is a trained mediator and has taught conflict resolution. He holds a Masters Degree in Public Policy from UC Berkeley.
Wednesdays, September 4, 11, 18. 3-4pm. Followed by drinks and appetizers.
$15/M, $35/NM for 3-week course.