Albert Einstein once said:
“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances of survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”
I would like to add that eating more plant-based helps to take the strain off of the earth’s resources and provides a more peaceful way of living to all inhabitants of the planet.
Let’s look at the effects that eating plant-based would have on the planet and all living beings:
· Without meat or dairy consumption, global farmland could be reduced by 75% which is the size of the United States, China, Europe, and Australia combined and still be able to feed the world because growing vegetables does not take up much space (1).
· If we were to rewild global farmland, it would remove 8.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year (2). We would have more space for rewilding, supporting a healthier planet. This would also aid in a decrease in the rise of global temperatures and cleaner air to breathe.
· To produce just one pound of meat takes about 1800 gallons of water, while it takes 10-20 gallons of water to produce one pound of veggies, fruits, or grains (1).
· Wildlife constitutes only 4% of all biomass on Earth. Farmed animals account for 62% of the Earth’s biomass (3). Because of the mass amount of space needed to raise farmed animals, means that most of the world’s endangered and threatened species are suffering habitat loss (4).
· Farmed animals emit greenhouse gases:
10% of all carbon dioxide
40% of all methane gas, which is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide
65% of all nitrous oxide, which is 310% more powerful than carbon dioxide (4).
Zoonotic Diseases
Did you know our DNA makeup is similar to pigs? Humans are highly susceptible to zoonotic viruses carried by farmed animals. Because they are forced to live in cruel and confined conditions, farmed animals have suppressed immune systems that cause disease and are easily transferred to humans (4).
Eating more of a plant-based diet provides a peaceful, healing respite for the earth and its inhabitants, improves the well-being of all who call the earth home, and paves a path to a brighter future.
References:
1. “The Water Footprint of Food.” Footprint. https://foodprint.org/issues/the-water-footprint-of-food/
2. Winters, Ed. How to Argue with a Meat Eater (and win every time). London. Penguin Random House UK. 2023.
3. Ritchie, Hannah. 2018. “Distribution of mammals on Earth.” www.ourworldindata.org. https://ourworldindata.org/wild-mammals-birds-biomass
4. Oppenlander, Richard, A. Comfortably Unaware. New York City. Beaufort Books. 2012.
