Most people recognize the environmental problems we are facing. This is not a complete list, but it is sobering, nonetheless:
- CO2 emissions have increased 50% by 1990, accelerating global warming and impacting all life on Earth
- 90% of us breathe polluted air, causing 7 million deaths a year
- Almost all of us drink contaminated water, causing 5 million deaths a year
- Our oceans are overfished, increasing in temperature and full of plastics and waste
- Nearly 25% of animal species are at risk of extinction
- Forests are being destroyed
- We are not producing enough food
Most people say, “I would love to help, but what can I do?”
Let’s start the answer with this article about a rancher destroying the Amazon rain forest to raise cows for your hamburgers. He takes the risk, and admits he is doing the damage, because our demand for meat is so great.
You probably know Processed Meat (any meat treated to improve favor or last longer, like deli meat or any meat in a package), is a Group 1 Carcinogen; in the same cancer-causing camp as asbestos, arsenic, mustard gas, neutron radiation, plutonium, cigarette smoking…
You probably know Red Meat is a Group 2 Carcinogen; in the same cancer-causing camp as formaldehyde, nitrate, silicon carbide…
You probably know that white meat and fish are expected to be added to the Group 2 list due to the impact of commercial meat factories…
You probably know that +90% of the meat you purchase at the store has fecal matter in it…
You probably know that animals are the middleman to you getting the protein you need…
You probably know the human body, from our teeth to our digestive tract, is built for plant digestion, not meat digestion…
You probably know meat harms your gut and biome and plants rebuilds it…
You probably know meat will increase your calories, cholesterol, risk of heart disease, risk of mental disease, risk of gastro-intestinal disease…
You probably know that a plant-based diet will be less expensive and healthier.
But did you know, the biggest opportunity we have to address our environmental problems and global warming is….reduced meat production?
- 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions and climate impact is from the production of meat. This is equal to the emissions from all the cars, trucks, planes and boats.
- 75% of the world’s agricultural land is used for the production of meat (including the Amazon land destroyed in the above article)
- 20% of global fresh water is used in the production of meat
So, the next time you get ready to take a bite of your expensive hamburger, remember:
- It likely has fecal matter in it
- Your body was not built to digest it
- The protein is from plants
- You will get fatter and die younger from it
- It is the biggest opportunity we have to correct our environmental / climate problem
- And, you have control over what you eat