From Damian Trippani

Monroe

To the Editor:

Congress continues to spend billions subsidizing industrial meat and dairy production even as these industries contribute significantly to climate change, water pollution, and other environmental problems (Euronews, Feb. 23, 2026). Instead of addressing the root causes of these impacts, policymakers are investing even more in a system that increasingly relies on technological fixes rather than meaningful reform.

Americans are encouraged to recycle, drive less, and reduce their carbon footprints, yet taxpayer dollars continue to prop up industries that undermine those same climate goals. Imagine if even a fraction of those funds were redirected toward plant-based innovation, sustainable agriculture, conservation, or helping farmers transition to more resilient food systems.

Real climate leadership means aligning public policy with the future we want to build — not spending billions to preserve a system that is costly for our environment, our communities, and taxpayers.