Love the article D.J.

I think humans are generally better off eating what their ancestors did in the last couple of thousands of years. Yes, pollution is a huge problem, though there are many other ways for us to resolve the issue, such as better regulation of meat production, insect-based meat, or artificial meat, as you mentioned.

It is also worth noting that it is much easier to get some nutrition from meat than an other source of food. Just a few examples here,

Vitamin B12

Heme iron

Zinc (in its most bioavailable form)

Creatine

Carnosine

Complete protein (containing all essential amino acids in optimal ratios)

Keeping a balanced meal with animal protein is generally easier than plant protein.