Veg

A few months ago, when i was really beginning to do research on more things i could do to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle, i kept stumbling upon eating less meat and/or going vegetarian/vegan as one of the top ways you could lessen your impact on the environment. I found this really intriguing. I really didn't understand what the connection was. so, i began doing what all curious people do - i google searched. then, i checked this book out from the library: Diet for a New America by John Robbins. i haven't eaten meat or drank milk in about 3 months. all this research has completely revolutionized the way that i think about food, health and consumerism. so, i just couldn't help but share some of this little journey with you. Colin over at No Impact Man (one of my most favorite blogs) just wrote about the connection between eating less meat and helping the environment. Here are some of the facts he cited from a recent report from the UN :
- 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock (more than from transportation).
- 70 percent of previously forested land in the Amazon was cleared to pasture cattle.
- Two-thirds (64 percent) of anthropogenic ammonia emissions, which contribute significantly to acid rain and acidification of ecosystems, come from cattle.
- The livestock sector accounts for over 8 percent of global human water use, while 64 percent of the world’s population will live in water-stressed areas by 2025.
- The world’s largest source of water pollution is believed to be the livestock sector.
- In the United States, livestock are responsible for a third of the loads of nitrogen and phosphorus into freshwater resources.
- Livestock account for about 20 percent of the total terrestrial animal biomass, and the 30 percent of the earth’s land surface that they now pre-empt was once habitat for wildlife, in an era of unprecedented threats to biodiversity.
- These problems will only get worse as meat production is expected to double by 2050.
So, i always thought that vegetarianism and veganism was for animal rights activists, which i could respect but not totally relate to. (i have never been a huge fan of the animal kingdom, though i am more so now) i had no idea of said implications of the average meat-rich american diet on the environment, nor health for that matter. eating a vegetarian (or even better - vegan) diet greatly lessens your risk of cancer, heart disease, obesity and virtually ever other disease you can think of (especially if you are making sure you get all the nutrients you need :) it's incredible. since eliminating meat and greatly reducing dairy in my diet, i feel so much better. people keep asking me what i've been doing to lose weight and i have to tell them that it was on accident!
even if you're not up for eliminating meat from your diet altogether, just skipping red meat once a week would save the 840 gallons of fresh water it takes to produce a single serving. and don't worry about missing out on things like protein and iron. there are many plant foods that have a much higher content per calorie - like lentils, tofu and spinach. If you do choose to eat meat (and dairy) go for the local, grass-fed free-range organic types. (better yet - find a farm in your area where you know what the animals are fed how they are treated, whether or not they are given a steady diet of antibiotics and hormones, etc.)
So, to top it all off - even though i was never bothered much (not enough to change) by the thought of whatever happens to farm animals, once i did some research (and read Diet for a New America) the thought of how the animals in factory farms and slaughter houses are treated made me ill - and unable to eat meat. i don't think these conditions are what God had in mind when he made us stewards of His beautiful creation. i won't go into detail here, as i do not wish to make anyone ill, but i would encourage anyone reading this to do a little research of your own and consider altering your dietary and grocery shopping habits. After all,vegetarian is the new Prius.

Resources:
Diet for a New America
Eat to Live
www.goveg.com
The Post Punk Kitchen - Vegan Cooking