Letters to | the Editor

Philadelphia recently passed a sin tax on soda, which is intended to help pay for city programs. Other cities could help raise revenue – and save animals and the environment – by levying a tax on meat and other animal-based foods.

According to the United Nations, the production of animal-based foods requires more resources and causes more greenhouse-gas emissions than the production of plant-based foods. A recent study shows that eating just one 8-ounce steak has the same environmental impact as driving a car for 29 miles.

If local governments were to levy a 10-cent tax on every pound of meat – and a modest tax on each dairy item and carton of eggs – it would give consumers yet another incentive to eat tasty vegan foods, which are relatively inexpensive compared to meat, eggs, and dairy products, especially if you factor in all the medical bills you can rack up if you eat a lot of fatty, cholesterol-laden animal-based foods.

Heather Moore

PETA Foundation

501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510