Letter to Greta - Veganism is not the Answer - Grasslands Heal - We Need More Animals - Not Less

From: Seth Itzkan <seth.itzkan@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Feb 28, 2019 at 10:33 AM
Subject: Soil4Climate
To: <GretaThunbergMedia@gmail.com>

Hi Greta,

I can't imagine that you will actually see this email, but on the chance that whoever sorts your thousands of emails for you, chooses to pass this on, I would be most delighted by your reply and to continue the discussion at your convenience. I am the codirector and cofounder of a global environmental organization incorporated in the United States called Soil4Climate. We advocate for soil restoration as a climate solution. This is essential because it is now understood that just cutting back or even completely ceasing CO2 emissions will not lessen the climate catastrophe that is already barreling down upon us. We are going to need to complement emissions cessation with "drawdown," - carbon sequestration - and the largest and most reliable "sink" for this drawdown is in soil. It is also true, that the largest areas for this carbon "sink" are in grasslands and that these grasslands must be managed with grazing - done properly. This requires animals to be part of the food system, but, in a way quite different than that meat factory model that is legitimately frowned upon. Being "vegan," however, is not the answer. The answer is in supporting small-holder, regenerative ranches, where soil carbon increases can be verified and where the return to fecundity is plainly apparent. Below is the post I made on your FB page. I hope you will read it and I welcome discussion with you on this topic as you see fit. Thank you for your time and consideration and for your courageous efforts on behalf of our climate.

Best regards,

- Seth Itzkan
Soil4Climate Inc.
www.soil4climate.org
facebook.com/groups/soil4climate

https://www.facebook.com/gretathunbergsweden/photos/a.733630957004727/767646850269804/?type=3&comment_id=668445086918269&notif_id=1551290955999502&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic

Feb 27, 2019

Hi Greta Thunberg, Thank you for your courageous efforts which are so crucial today. I invite you, however, to reconsider the #vegan stance. That is a misdirection promulgated as a response to the worst aspects of animal agriculture - such as factory farms. There are entirely alternative - and essential - approaches to animal agriculture that manage animals in ways that are ethical and environmentally responsible, and, in fact, necessary for restoring soil to #drawdown atmospheric carbon and bring back fecundity to two-thirds of the landed surface of the planet. We discuss this in Soil4Climate and other groups, such as Regenerative Agriculture Group, reGenerative Grazing Group, Holistic Management Discussion Group, and EOM-Ethical Omnivore Movement. There is also the EOYM - Ethical Omnivore Youth Movement. Please familiarize yourself with these efforts to restore sanity and soil in our agricultural sector. Animal consumption is not the problem - it is land management - and this, in turns out - will be our greatest hope for carbon #drawdown. Below are just two of many papers that put this situation into proper perspective and that show the path to a regenerative future. We are happy to discuss this with you at your convenience. Thank you - Seth 

The role of ruminants in reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint in North America 
http://www.jswconline.org/content/71/2/156.full.pdf+html

Emerging land use practices rapidly increase soil organic matter
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms7995