Climate, habitats and wildlife are under assault worldwide. The new documentary “Cowspiracy” suggests this is primarily because growing food for cows and other edible creatures uses so much land and water, and because the animals themselves produce so much methane (as flatulence).

Trauma to Earth’s biological systems will increase as humans proliferate, and more of us share a meat diet. Even more troubling, although all mammals and birds are conscious creatures, we kill and eat billions annually in the U.S.

With changes in the human brain over the past several million years, we ourselves now are more than conscious. Now we may be the only creatures on Earth aware that we are conscious, and that other creatures are conscious as well.

Once we acknowledge that cows, pigs and chickens have just as much right to be here as we do, and that all are conscious, feel pain and can suffer, it becomes impossible to justify treating them like furniture.

Nine million or 10 million years ago (living in trees as chimp-like apes), or 5 million to 6 million years ago (living bipedal on the African savannah), killing conscious creatures could be justified. We ate what was at hand, because if we didn’t, we starved. Now, for many of us, dinner’s as close as the nearest supermarket.

As our pets might share if they spoke English, killing and eating conscious creatures is immoral. Unfortunately, in our culture, we presume that killing nonhuman animals is acceptable, since they’re … well, they’re not human.

It took me decades (and three degrees in biology) to achieve these sensitivities. Old training can be hard to overcome, but my new awareness of the harms of animal agriculture is my last straw. I’m changing my diet. I owe it to the conscious creatures I share my nest with.

Steve Hartman

retired professor of osteopathic medicine, University of New England

Saco

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