Day 13 meatless monday

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Overview

“When we eat we are taking the world into our bodies; that’s a very profound thing. We are changed by what we eat and we in turn change what we are eating. Our most profound engagement with the natural world happens on our plates.” 
– Michael Pollan, American author, journalist, activist, and professor

What we eat reflects our values. The foods we choose and those we avoid are an expression of what matters to us. So how do we eat in a way that respects the planet? A plant-based diet is a great first step to begin living in greater harmony with people, all species and our planet. Animal agriculture is a major contributor to environmental degradation. Switching to a plant-based diet can help fight climate change, UN and countless experts have underscored. A great, simple way to introduce more plant-based food into your diet is through Meatless Monday. Eating plant-based only ONE day a week can save 1,150 gallons of water, 32 square feet of forest and 21 pounds of carbon dioxide!

Greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) attributes 14.5% of global emissions to animal agriculture, greater than all transportation emissions combined. Animal agriculture releases massive amounts of carbon and 44% of global methane production.

Biodiversity Loss. We are trading rich biodiversity for agricultural land to grow feed crops and provide land for grazing for animals. Nearly ⅓ of biodiversity loss and 75% of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is linked to animal agriculture. 

Ocean destruction. Through pesticide, fertilizer and waste runoff, livestock has indirectly caused more than 500 nitrogen flooded dead zones in the ocean. Overfishing is another practice that is damaging the ocean on a large scale. 

Inefficient Land Use. Animal agriculture perpetuates the global hunger crisis, because it is a highly inefficient use of resources and produces far less food than plant-based agriculture. One pound of beef requires 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water and 7 pounds of feed, whereas a comparable amount of wheat takes only 25 gallons of water to produce.

Pollution. As animal agriculture was industrialized on a large scale, factory farms fundamentally altered the way animals are raised and turned into food. Livestock food is high in synthetic pesticides and chemicals, so manure cannot be returned to nature as fertilizer. As a result, animals within each Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) generate tons of toxic manure that leach heavy metals and nitrates into soil and groundwater, polluting land and water. 

Disease. Factory farms, especially in the United States, use large amounts of growth hormones. The combination of rapid growth, unsanitary living conditions and overcrowding results in high rates of disease, which has led to rampant use of antibiotics in animal feed, sharply increasing antibiotic-resistant bacteria and causing over 2 million illnesses and about 23,000 deaths per year. 

The good news is that benefits of plant-based diets are becoming more widely known and accessible while gaining traction.

Scientific research highlighted in The China Study shows that a plant-based diet can reduce risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, various types of cancer and other major illnesses. Many people also report bigger fitness payoffs, more energy, reduced inflammation and better health outcomes after making the switch.

California legislators are currently debating a bill that would fund a school lunch program with plant-based food for millions of children.

Plant-based alternatives to animal products are exploding in popularity, with products now in nearly every grocery store and plant-based restaurants  now in countless cities. Let’s dig in!