SaTURN Earth’s Future Around! ‘Lettuce’ Launch Vegan Appeal on Titan-Bound Spacecraft, PETA Tells NASA

For Immediate Release:
April 25, 2024

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

Following NASA’s announcement that it has green-lit its Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Saturn’s moon Titan in 2028, PETA blasted off a letter today to Dr. Nicola Fox, associate administrator for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, urging her to take one giant leap for human- and animalkind by placing an appeal to “go vegan” on the front of the craft. The message would remind everyone that life on this planet is being threatened by a climate catastrophe fueled by animal agriculture—and that a global shift to vegan eating is necessary to save all our skins.

“Colonization of far-off planets may be light-years away, but our planet will be destroyed before then if humans keep eating environmentally disastrous meat, eggs, and dairy,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA encourages everyone to grasp the gravity of the situation and go vegan before it’s too late.”

It’s a fact: Up to 80% of deforestation in the Amazon has been caused by the destruction of land to grow animal feed and graze cattle—and animal agriculture is responsible for nearly one-fifth of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, by some estimates, more than all the world’s transportation systems combined. Each person who goes vegan dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint, spares nearly 200 animals every year, and slashes their risk of suffering from certain types of cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Dr. Fox follows.

April 25, 2024

Nicola Fox, Ph.D.

Associate Administrator
Science Mission Directorate

NASA

Dear Dr. Fox:

Greetings! I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals—PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally, including thousands in Washington, D.C., where we also have an office—with a suggestion that we hope you’ll be over the moon about. Now that the Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Titan has been confirmed and while animal agriculture continues to threaten life on Earth, would you please consider helping humans launch a fresh start by placing a “Go Vegan” sign on the front of the craft to encourage everyone on Earth who’s keeping track of this exciting expedition to consider how going vegan will help the planet, their health, and animals right now? Please allow me to elaborate.

Our request isn’t coming from outer space. As you know, colonization of moons or planets beyond Earth is a ways off and, meanwhile, climate scientists have issued a dire warning that humans have just six years to reduce global warming in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The link between climate change and animal agriculture is well-documented, and promoting a vegan diet could buy us more time. Ending meat and dairy production and adopting a vegan food system globally over the next 15 years could prevent enough greenhouse gas emissions to offset emissions from all other economic sectors for the next 30 to 50 years. As you know, at this moment the Amazon can be seen burning from outer space, with most of the fires having been set to raze forests to grow crops to feed cows and chickens in the U.S. and other places.

Beyond fueling the climate catastrophe, using animals for food forces thinking, feeling beings to endure constant fear and torment. Humans send listening devices into deep space to search for intelligent life when it’s all around us. If stronger life forms than humans—but ones with a similar moral compass—are found, they’ll likely make shoes out of our skin and snack on our roasted legs. Compassion isn’t rocket science. Chickens’ and turkeys’ throats are slit while they’re still conscious, piglets aren’t given painkillers before their tails and testicles are cut off, fish are suffocated or cut open while they’re still alive, and calves are forcibly removed from their adoring mothers within hours of birth. Just last week, cognitive scholars put forth a declaration stating that we must accept the knowledge that animals—from crows and crayfish to birds and bees—have “the capacity for conscious experience” and that “it is irresponsible to ignore that possibility in decisions affecting that animal.”  

We ask that NASA make an out-of-this-world push for compassion for all Earth’s species by promoting a vegan diet. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to your response.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk

President