Don’t Eat Anything with a Face: A Discussion on Eating Meat

The award-winning debate series, “Intelligence Squared U.S.  / Open to Debate concluded its fall season with “Don’t Eat Anything with a Face,” moderated by ABC News correspondent John Donvan. The debate was centered on the physical, psychological, environmental, and moral impacts caused by the American consumption of animal protein.

Not surprisingly, the topic ignited a strong reaction from vegans and omnivores alike.

What made the public feel so strongly about something as basic as food? [The program’s chairman, Robert] Rosenkranz speculated that it was because our dietary choices have become a form of branding.

Choosing to buy organic and locally grown foods, or to only consume a plant-based diet, is part of our identity that broadcasts our personal values to the rest of the world. For example, being a vegan implies that you value your own health and the well-being of other species and the environment. However, is it possible to be ecological, ethical, and health-conscious while still consuming meat? The debate’s four panelists sought to answer that very question.