By: Akilah De Souza The year is 2021, and a growing number of people are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Many of them are turning to veganism, but why? What is the correlation between veganism and a reduced carbon footprint? For starters, a vegan diet has been linked to the reduction of deforestation and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Animal agriculture, that is the mass industrialization of farming to raise animals for human consumption, is a leading cause of deforestation. According to Greenpeace USA, nearly 80% of deforestation is caused by agricultural production. 45% of the global surface area is dedicated to livestock operations, with an additional 10% used to grow food to feed these animals. Deforestation is a pressing threat to our planet because trees and other plants are essential to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change. Animal agriculture is also one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. The UN has stated that farmed livestock accounts for 14.5% of manmade greenhouse gas emissions. A 2016 report in the academic journal Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences stated that if the whole world went vegan, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 70%. In contrast to the points made above, many people worry that a vegan diet would not provide the daily recommended intake of vitamins and nutrients, so they are hesitant to make the decision to go vegan. However, scientists have proven that all people, and even pets like dogs, can safely eat a vegan diet as long as they ensure that they are eating a balanced diet. Moreover, studies have shown that many vegans are in fact healthier than their omnivore counterparts. Others are concerned with being able to find vegan alternatives to everyday foods, such as burgers and ice cream, but many companies have stepped up to fill this market gap by providing vegan burgers, milk alternatives, and fake meat products; thus, there is no need to fret about losing out on these favourite treats. To conclude, veganism has been proven to fight climate change by reducing deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Now more than ever, there is a growing number of vegan alternatives to animal products, so the effort to be vegan is easier than ever. The next time you’re at the grocery store, put down your tub of ice cream and look for a vegan alternative instead! Sources:
BBC https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/vegan-diet-better-environment Greenpeace https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/forests/issues/agribusiness/
1 Comment
It got me when you said that vegans are actually healthier than those who eat meat as the studies have shown. With that in mind, I will be looking for healthy foods that I can try to start trying that kind of lifestyle. It might be best for my as well now that I am in my 30s, so I have to eat smart now before I become older.
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May 2021
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