Why is a plant-based diet good for the planet? A few key facts.
The meat industry is one of the main producers of carbon dioxide and methane, two of the harshest greenhouse gasses responsible for climate change.
Is it true that a plant-based diet can cut greenhouse gas emissions substantially and regenerate nature? According to science, yes. In a study conducted by the Oxford Martin School, researchers found that when compared to other diets (especially carnivorism) a vegan diet could save up to 8 million lives by 2050 by reducing methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide emissions by two-thirds.
Besides the gas cutback, water consumption would also be drastically reduced: the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) calculates that around 15,000 liters (almost 4,000 gallons) of water are required to produce one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of meat. And if that weren’t enough of a reason to switch to a plant-based diet, 1.5 billion hectares of land that are presently dedicated to raising livestock could be destined to sustainable agriculture (for some perspective: the total land surface is 13.4 billion hectares).
This takes us to our next point: buy local and organic produce whenever possible. Today’s agricultural landscape is mostly run by corporations cultivating just one variety of produce (this is called a monoculture) which makes the crops more prone to pests, vermin, and diseases, resulting in higher use of pesticides that enter the soil and deplete it of its nutrients over time. Look for your local farmer's market or consider starting your own organic garden.
We’re utilizing all our natural resources to sustain billions of animals that will end up slaughtered and on our plates. The combined total of chickens (19 billion), cows (1.5 billion), sheep (1 billion), and pigs (1 billion) is three times higher than the number of people, according to the Economist. Today we are eating three times more meat than we used to a few decades ago—and if we include the consumption of marine animals, we can estimate the number of living beings we kill every year to be in the trillions.
If you want to see a ticker of how many animals we eat live, check out this harrowing clock.
Changes in the way we consume food will benefit our health too, reducing the risk of coronary artery disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes, amongst other illnesses (i.e. processed and red meats are classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization). The healthier we are, the more we can contribute to both healing the planet and boosting the local economy: a dietary change could save up to $1,000 billion USD per year on medical attention alone, and almost $600 billion USD on direct economic impact.
And if these weren’t sufficient reasons to ditch meat and embrace delicious fruit, nuts, legumes, and veggies, consider that animals are sentient beings who’d rather be wandering through nature than locked in a cage (before ending up on your plate).
Here are some of our favorite websites to get you started on your vegan journey: