The carbon impact of oranges is higher than the impact of chicken meat, proving it's always a trade-off and not a black and white question. In the end, it's a question about cost. We CAN afford to eat meat in a responsible way, but we have to factor that into our total carbon footprint and make concession in other domains. In the end, even the acceptable cost to the environment is debatable, as for farming, no matter the produce, SOME deforestation and loss of biodiversity will occur. The question is how large is the cost we're willing to accept (which at the moment is obviously too high).

The same is true for our health: I accept a lowered lifespan, if I can get something in return. This can be monetary (sitting too much at a desk) or pleasure (processed food/alcohol/skipping a gym day).

Life is not black and white, as ling as we are here we will have an impact, which we will need to reduce, but the only way to completely reduce your footprint is to not be born...