I do think it is better, when promoting vegetarianism, to focus on moral arguments around animal welfare rather than possible human health benefits. The main reason why is that the animal suffering is the thing that really matters, far more than any health benefit for humans. But also, there is some evidence that ethical vegetarians exclude more animal products from their diets, and are better able to sustain their diets, than health-motivated vegetarians (Rosenfeld 2018). The same goes for arguments around climate change. I think those are fragile because climate change isn’t the thing that is most important here. Focusing on climate change can lead people to make choices (like switching from beef to chicken) that can help the climate but actually increase the total amount of animal suffering.
Great post, Erich!
Agreed.