Poor meat eater problem

Abstract

Sometimes the long-run effects of an action can drastically affect how valuable the action is, and can even make something that seems on the surface to be beneficial to be actually harmful. Consider the poor meat-eater problem. Saving human lives, and making humans more prosperous, seem to be obviously good in terms of direct effects. However, humans consume animal products, and these animal products may cause considerable animal suffering, as well as increase greenhouse gas emissions.