Why should I eat less meat?
Why is it ALWAYS that environmentalists want us to eat less meat? Why would that actually be good? What is it helping? Let’s see if we can find some answers, join me! .
I'll start with this simple fact I learned that I think will also knock your socks right off: Eating just one plant-based meal a day for a year is roughly the equivalent of saving the same carbon emissions as driving across the country (reference: https://omdfortheplanet.com/why-it-matters/planet/).
Yeah. Eating a salad has a new impact doesn’t it!
The combination of land use, water use, and fossil fuels needed to raise farm animals is the biggest human contributor to greenhouse gasses that you and I can control.
We won’t be perfect on this one. I've had the Popeyes chicken sandwich. I know this not easy. Meat is tastes great and has a long history in many cultures and traditions. But maybe there is more reasons to cut back.
Factory Farming
Have you ever watched the documentary What the Health on Netflix? There are a couple of scenes that will give you a quick education on the conditions animals live in when they are being raised for slaughter. You can't help but feel sorry for those poor pigs!
There was a different incredibly heartbreaking video, that caught undercover mistreatment at Fair Oaks Farms last summer as well. The video shows cows and calves that were separated at birth; the calves were being thrown like sacks of potatoes into pens, the mothers forced into a carousel of milking machinery, punched and prodded and if they hesitated too long, their tails snapped. The factory farming situation that has been created is because of our enormous demand for meat.
The less meat that we demand, the less chance that cows, pigs, and chickens are treated like products rather than living animals.
Biodiversity
Animal agriculture is also the #1 contributor to extinction and biodiversity loss due to the land needed for grazing and growing feed for livestock. Biodiversity is vital for our planet's success, and we threaten that by pillaging land for livestoc grazing. Here is a SUPER quick 5 reasons why we should care about biodiversity:
Economic— different species of both plants and animals provide humans with raw materials for consumption and production. Many livelihoods, including farmers, depend on the other life in the ecosystem. But also: fisherman, scientists, plant producers, timber workers, and so many more.
Ecological— not just one type of resource can provide all the ecosystem benefits! That supply of clean air and water, pollination of plants, pest control, wastewater treatment and more, all depend on biodiversity.
Recreation—some recreational pursuits rely on our landscapes, such as hiking, camping and fishing. Our tourism industry also depends on diverse ecosystems.
Cultural—many cultures are closely connected the expression of identity, through spirituality and aesthetic appreciation. Indigenous peoples have strong connections, including spiritual beliefs, about animals and plants.
Scientific— biodiverse regions represent a wealth of data and room for discovery that help us to understand the natural world and our place in it.
The environment can and will recover, we just have to give it some space.
Yet 1/3rd of the Earth’s land surface is dedicated to raising livestock for our consumption. Having a meat free breakfast can help!
Farming isn't the Problem
There is no doubt that we should still have cows and pigs and chickens in our lives. They are wonderful creatures who have a long history of being great farm animals with much to offer all life. Farming is part of what made humans become humans, allowed our civilizations to flourish, and keep our bellies full all year round. Domesticated animals aren't the problem. But how we treat them (and how many we need of them) is!
By reducing the number of livestock we depend on strictly for food we would provide other types life the chance to flourish - including ourselves.
