Abstract: This paper proposes that regular meat consumption may have contributed to humanity’s psychological disconnection from nature. The repeated killing of animals may have created psychological distance between human beings and other living beings, nature, and ultimately our own natural identity. This paper argues that this disconnection may be a major overlooked root cause of environmental destruction and the climate crisis—not merely as unintended collateral consequences of human development, but as manifestations of a deeper psychological hostility toward animals and, by extension, toward nature and other living beings. Restoring our relationship with animals and, therefore, nature may be critical to preventing further destruction and recovering a sustainable relationship with the natural world.
Keywords: meat consumption, psychological dissociation from nature, human–animal relationship, psychological distance from animals, anthropocentrism, human–nature connectedness, animal killing and psychological desensitization, ecological alienation, environmental destruction, climate change.
Title: Meat Consumption as a Precursor to Environmental Destruction and the Climate Crisis
Author: Kenji Abe
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
Vol. 14, Issue 3, July 2026 - September 2026
Page No: 379-383
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 22-September-2026
