DIETARY CHANGES TO COMBAT GLOBAL WARMING
Lowering levels of meat consumption can reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.
Every day we are being bombarded with the dire predictions that humanity faces as a result of climate change and many are left wondering what actions will make a real impact in reducing the risks in the shortest possible time. Lowering levels of meat consumption can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly and instead of costing us money to make the change we will save significantly on our food bills and live healthier more sustainable lives. According to the ACT Vegetarian Society, if the population that participated in the recent “Earth Hour” event were to replace the meat in one meal with a vegetarian alternative the GHG savings would be 10 times that saved by turning off the lights for an hour.
The population in general is consuming 50% more meat.
The population in general is consuming 50% more meat than in the 1960s, and global consumption is forecast to double by 2050. More chicken, and less red meat is being consumed than in the past, but in terms of overall meat consumption, we are going in the wrong direction when we consider the threat that climate change poses. For example, each of Britain's 10 million cows produces more greenhouse gases in the form of methane per day than the average 4x4 on a 33-mile drive. In the U.S. 80% of agricultural land is used for grazing or growing crops to feed animals for meat production. This means that a tremendous amount of chemical fertilizers, fuel, water,and insectcides are being consumed in order to support our meat eating habit.
Grazing animals are prodigious producers of GHGs.
The biggest driver of deforestation is conversion to pasture with world deforestation accounting for 20% of all CO2 emissions. Coupled with this, the tracts of forest cleared for grazing might have been left in tact, contributing to the Earth’s ability to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. The grazing animals that populate this pasture are prodigious producers of methane as they convert grass to body mass. While global warming due to methane is about a third of that due to CO2, the emissions of some countries – notably Australia, Brazil and India – have greater proportions of methane production due to their high livestock populations. In addition, producing grain-fed meat is a very inefficient way of producing food. It takes 8kg of grain to produce 1kg of beef, and chicken takes 2kg of feed to produce 1kg of meat.
Rising grain prices are leading to starvation.
Rising food prices and shortages are also becoming evident as 100 million tons of grain are being diverted to make biofuel this year and over seven times as much (760 million tons) will be used to feed animals. These factors combined are driving up grain prices and leading to starvation among the poor in developing countries. The world's desire for meat is a much bigger cause of global hunger than its passion for the car. Giving up meat could have a comparable impact on climate change to giving up flying. While it’s not practical to give up flying this gives us an indication of how we can begin to mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing the amount of meat we include in our diets.
Meat-eating linked to cancer.
There are other reasons for cutting back on meat eating. The latest study of the link between diet and health published by the World Cancer Research Fund last November concluded that animal flesh occupies too higher proportion in the western diet, contributing to high rates of cancer and heart disease. Using Australia’s current levels of meat consumption, the international study calculated that cutting back red meat to one serve per week could save 840 lives (the equivalent of half the nation’s road toll) and 2200 new cases of colorectal cancer per year. This is a minimal estimate from a respected source (it appears in the International Journal of Cancer).
Vegan best for the Earth.
While most people will not take readily to a vegan diet of green leaves, pulses, fruit and nuts, reducing our meat intake is one of the strategies easily implemented to reduce green house gases and support our health. Vegan foods require the least amount of land, water and energy to produce. Vegan foods cause the least amount of soil erosion and pollution. Most of the food crops that are grown in developed countries go towards feeding animals for the meat, dairy and egg industries, not for feeding humans. If we cut out our consumption of animal foods, we can live on a fraction of the cost to the Earth: costs in pesticides, fossil fuel input, arable land used, water used, water pollution and soil erosion.
Transition to a new diet.
A lot of people are skeptical that their protein, and overall nutritional needs can be met by a vegetarian diet despite many examples of extraordinarily healthy people thriving on vegetarian diets. The key to a successful transition to a new diet is to give the body time to make the adjustment. This supports the digestive system so that you can absorb the nutrition the new diet provides. It’s important when changing your diet you do so over time. Gradually increasing the new components of the diet as you phase out the ones you’ve been used to. As the flora in the gut needs to make changes to accommodate the new regime it takes more than a year for the body to fully adjust. And its important for anyone contemplating the shift from a meat-based diet to get an education on how to provide for the body’s needs from vegetarian sources.
Traditional diets give us the key.
Low meat or meat free dishes dominate the traditional diets of people in the developing countries. When meat is consumed, it’s used more as a relish rather than the basis for the meal. These cultures make up the majority of the world’s population and their bean, grain and vegetable dishes can be seen as an indicator for how westernized diets could change in the future to maintain sustainability in health and the environment. It's Vegelicious workshops and recipes give participants the tools to make the transition to a more environmentally sustainable diet.
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