Green New Deal author Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s dinner with a top aide munching on a burger has come under fire from PETA, which wants “animal agriculture” banned in climate proposals and feels advocates like the lawmaker and her team have “a duty" to go vegan.

“It may be an inconvenient truth to some, but when animal agriculture is a bigger contributor to climate change than all the world's transportation systems combined, climate justice advocates have a duty to go vegan,” said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman after pictures were posted on Twitter of her dining with an aide who was eating a burger.

“Rep. Ocasio-Cortez has laudable, ambitious goals, and PETA encourages her to take a fresh look at the evidence and make sure that meat, dairy, and eggs are wiped from her dinner plate and out of the Green New Deal's policies,” added Reiman.

The lawmaker and the Green New Deal were hit by some critics when talking points noted that “farting cows” must be included because they are part of agricultural practices that put out climate-challenging emissions.



Tonight a dude was creepily (and obviously) taking a picture of me while pretending he wasn’t and I had to break his imaginary fourth wall and say “Hi! I’m a person! This is weird!” https://t.co/JnybvVubVh — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 27, 2019



[Also read: AOC backs out from defending Green New Deal, citing Michael Cohen]

She also addressed animal farming and suggested Americans eat fewer burgers. She said on Showtime, "And so it’s not to say you get rid of agriculture, it’s not to say we’re gonna force everybody to go vegan or anything crazy like that. But it’s to say, ‘Listen, we gotta address factory farming. Maybe we shouldn’t be eating a hamburger for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Like, let’s keep it real.”

The Internet yesterday exploded when the photos appeared on Twitter, promoting Ocasio-Cortez to respond, “Tonight a dude was creepily (and obviously) taking a picture of me while pretending he wasn’t and I had to break his imaginary fourth wall and say ‘Hi! I’m a person! This is weird!’”

PETA has been pressing Ocasio-Cortez to make her Green New Deal vegan.

In a letter sent earlier this week to the lawmaker, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk wrote, “Because animal agriculture not only is devastating to animals but also poisons the environment and makes Americans sick, what we need is a Vegan Green New Deal."

She added, “PETA hopes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will promote equity, environmental justice, health, and kindness by recognizing the need for vegan food policies."

Here is PETA's initial letter to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:

"February 27, 2019

The Honorable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

United States House of Representatives

Dear Ms. Ocasio-Cortez,

Greetings from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Recently, we heard that your favorite kinds of milk are vegan oat and cashew milks, which are the perfect choices for someone promoting environmentally friendly policies. The science couldn't be clearer: The choices that we make every day, especially concerning what we eat, impact the entire world. We applaud you for pushing for a Green New Deal, as we must reclaim the Earth from those who promote animal suffering and ill health, pollute poor communities, and profit from environmental degradation. Also, we ask that you add an important component to the proposal: the promotion of vegan food policies. Here are some of the compelling reasons why:

Animal agriculture is a leading emitter of greenhouse gases and is complicit in many other serious environmental problems that we face today. More often than not, the highest density of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are built near low-income communities, which experience significantly more incidents of disease and chronic health conditions than other poor communities do. Also, meat consumption is linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, yet the interests of the industry—propagated by millions of dollars spent on lobbying and direct support to political campaigns—continue to dominate American food and agricultural policies.

Many policy choices could help address animal agriculture's long shadow over our health and environment. For example, PETA has called for an excise tax on meat and supported corporate and government initiatives that increase access to vegan foods. Including a program to make the transition from meat, egg, and dairy farming to plant-based agriculture in the Green New Deal would help workers stay employed while simultaneously encouraging healthful eating and the development of green industry.

Please see the supplemental fact sheet (available here) for more information. We look forward to discussing how we can work together on this issue."

