Readers React: Give up meat during the drought? Not a chance.

To the editor: I am sick of reading letters from people who advocate plant-based diets. Now that we are dealing with a devastating drought, these advocates are trying to persuade us to change our diets to save water. Really? (“Readers’ advice for coping with drought: Go vegetarian,” Readers React, April 10)

Yes, the dairy and meat industries use a lot of water. But humans have been eating meat for thousands of years, and it is wholly unrealistic to expect enough people to give up meat to put a meaningful dent in water use by these industries.

I have cut back on my red meat consumption, and now I eat more poultry and seafood for health reasons. But don’t ask me to give up meat and dairy entirely. I and others enjoy it too much.

So enough with the anti-meat rhetoric already.

Brian Musgrove, Moorpark

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To the editor: Your letters encouraging vegetarianism inspired me. Now, when I fire up the grill, I’ll throw on a bunch of almonds instead of that water-wasting cow flesh. I’m sure I’ll get just as much pleasure out of digging into a toasted almond as I would slicing into a big juicy rib-eye.

Once we all switch to soy milk, we can just let all of those bloated dairy cows and beef steers die of thirst and be done with the demon livestock. Let the buzzards feast on the rotting carcasses.

Darren Mccobb, Fullerton

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