Climate Activists Really Don’t Want You To Have A Dog

Climate change activists are now arguing that simply owning a dog can increase a person’s carbon footprint.

A finding published in PNAS Nexus says that, supposedly, people overestimate the climate benefits of activities like recycling or switching light bulbs. At the same time, they underestimate other beneficial impacts, such as taking fewer flights.

“We think, ‘I have to recycle this and it will help the planet,’” Madalina Vlasceanu, an assistant professor of environmental social sciences at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, told the Greater Good Magazine. “It’s less likely you will hear that if you fly less, that’s the best you can possibly do, lifestyle-wise.”

Another “underestimated” benefit is cutting back on beef intake. According to Earth.org, pets’ meat consumption accounts for 64 million tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. That adds up to 25-30% of the environmental impact of meat intake.

In a list of ideas on how to reduce one’s carbon footprint that includes switching to public transport and eating poultry instead of beef, Greater Good Magazine suggested people “opt out of getting a dog.”

Man’s best friend is just the latest victim of climate activists’ propaganda. To them, owning a dog is an activity even dedicated climate change sympathizers engage in without realizing it, and they blame people who aren’t fully dedicated to the cause for furthering these issues.

“People will engage in lifestyle changes when they think it’s easy to do. It’s less important to them if it’s effective,” Vlasceanu said. “For collective action, it is more important to people that the action they engage in will actually result in a meaningful change.”

Though it seems like a lost cause to try and convince people to radically change their lifestyle so it fits a fear-based narrative, activists are not letting up.

“In order to meaningfully address climate change, experts have agreed that we will need lifestyle change and collective action,” Vlasceanu said. “Both of these have to work together. This is a critical part of the pathway to net zero.”