Often, when contemplating lifestyle changes, we ask ourselves: “what difference would it really make?”. When it comes to going vegan, or opting for more plant-based options, the answer is:
A BIG DIFFERENCE.
Imagine every time you take a bite of food is an opportunity do something beneficial for yourself and the planet.
You have the choice to say “NO THANK YOU” to a food system that clear-cuts ancient forests, poisons oceans, and threatens species. Saying “I’M GOOD” to corporate farming practices that contribute to an epidemic of heart disease, diabetes and obesity, and a host of other illnesses.
Environmental impact
While completely saying goodbye to meat and dairy, you can still make a huge difference just by swapping at least one meal per day to a plant-based alternative.
By eating just one plant-based meal per day for a year, you will save around 200,000 gallons of water, that’s like taking 11,400 showers, and you’ll also reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by the equivalent of driving 3,000 miles in your car, from New York to LA.
Or if you want to dive in deeper, and commit to full veganism for one month, you alone would save 620 pounds of harmful carbon dioxide emissions, 913 square feet of forest, and 33,481 gallons of water, not to mention the lives of 30 innocent animals.
In fact, going vegan is the single biggest way you can reduce your impact on the planet, according to scientists from Oxford University.
Did you know?
Animal agriculture is the number 1 leading driver of extinction on this planet.
The greenhouse gas emissions caused by the meat and dairy industry total more than that of all transportation combined. If that’s not enough, it’s also the main contributor to deforestation, water pollution and ocean dead zones.
Ok, one more time, because that’s UNBELIEVABLE:
Animal agriculture accounts for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, that’s the equivalent emissions to every car, train, plane and ship on this planet!
What about your Health?
Plant-based foods are:
- the leading sources of fibre;
- rich in vitamins and minerals:
- free of cholesterol;
- and low in calories and saturated fat.
Eating a variety of these foods provides all the protein, calcium, and other essential nutrients your body needs.
And turns out, those who eat a plant-based diet lower their risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other health conditions.
What about world hunger?
The standard Western diet is extremely resource intensive.
Even the Council for Agriculture, Science and Technology acknowledges that 10 billion people could be fed with the available crop land in America alone if everyone became vegan.
Sustaining a meat, dairy and egg-eating culture requires:
- 20 times more land
- 14 times more water
- 10-20 times more consumption of fossil fuels & other energy sources
than would be required to sustain a plant-based culture of the same size.
Animal agriculture is not only evil to the animals that it imprisons, enslaves, tortures, and kills; it is monumentally evil when we consider the harm it wreaks on the natural environment and the health of individual people, and finally, its exacerbating effects on world famine and hunger.
Conclusion
Our food choices truly do have the power to heal our broken food system, give species a fighting chance for survival, and pave the way for a truly sustainable future.
With the wealth of available plant-based options available, it has never been easier to eat with the planet in mind.