DID YOU KNOW?
EAT GREEN TO SAVE THE PLANET
Every year, cows produce up to 120 kg of methane, a substance that is 23 times more damaging to the climate than CO2 (Pradhan, 2018). Livestock consume more crops than we do (Zelman, n.d.). There are 375 million vegetarians in the world (Figus, 2014).
Figure 6. Leafy Vegetables ("9 Healthy Benefits of Leafy Green Vegetables", n.d.).
Animals are dying and glaciers are melting. Sea levels are rising and it is affecting cities located near the ocean. People’s homes are destroyed due to floods, earthquakes, forest fires and other devastating natural disasters. Everyone around the world is affected by it and we all have the responsibility. We, human beings, have the pleasure to live on the Earth but many of us choose to ignore the problem. So here is an easy solution: become a vegetarian. By having meatless diets, you will reduce your carbon footprint and save animals’ lives! By becoming a vegetarian, you will save so much natural resources. 18% of emission in the world result from raising livestock, which is more than cars, planes and other transports all combined (VIdal, 2010). Not only that, raising livestock causes soil erosion, desertification, flooding and a great loss of fertility. It also diminishes land that can support a rapidly growing population. Besides, raising livestock requires 70% of the world’s water (Vidal, 2010). While a pound of potatoes requires 60 pounds of water, a pound of beef requires up to 9000 litres of water (Vidal, 2010). In addition, overgrazing causes deforestation since millions of hectares of trees have been chopped to create farms and raise animals. Furthermore, the feces
Scientists say that major cities like New York and London could be underwater by the end of the century Figure 7. Cities Displaced (Vidal, 2010).
and urine of animals contaminate our underground water, which is where most of our freshwater is located. Livestock production destroys biodiversity. Most importantly, animals produce tonnes of greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide, that pollute the air we breathe and creates acid rain. In fact, a vegetarian’s foodprint is about 1.7 t CO2e, which is over 30% less than the average American’s ("The Carbon Foodprint of 5 Diets Compared", n.d.). This is simply because beef, lamb, chicken, fish and pork have some of the highest carbon foodprint. In addition, consuming animals is essentially a form of animal cruelty. Think about it. Animals are no different from us. They are living, breathing creatures, yet we slaughter them for food. Would you want to be a cow on a farm in your next life? You would be born in a very small area, where you will be forced to watch your friends and family die. You will have very the worst food to eat. Oh, and before you die you might be raped just so you can have more baby cows for the farmers to kill and sell for profit. You’re basically born to die. It’s like living in a prison but a thousand times worse. I understand that eating animals every day is very traditional and has been our lifestyle forever. But if we can live by eating vegetables, eggs, milk, fruits and other food to satisfy our daily nutrients intake, why kill animals? My point is that you should consider becoming a vegetarian to save the environment and the lives of animals. There are so many benefits to becoming a vegetarian!