How a Plant-Based Diet Fights Climate Change

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By Kate Eplboim • Posted on Oct 27, 2023

The agricultural and livestock sector is responsible for emitting 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions globally.

When we hear about climate change and people’s contributions to it, most minds tend to think about familiar images associated with environmental destruction like melting icecaps, deforestation and pollution. Rarely, however, does one’s diet come up in the conversation, despite the fact that the agricultural and livestock sector is responsible for emitting 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions globally. That is roughly the same amount of emissions created by all forms of the transportation sector combined (planes, cars, ships, trains). With this in mind, it’s time to take a step back and reevaluate the impact an animal-based diet has on our environment. It is time to rethink the way we eat.

THE FACTS

Large animals like cows require an incredible amount of food, water and grazing space. In a video with Vox, M. Sanjayan, a conservation scientist and visiting researcher at UCLA, noted that “the methane produced by cows is about 25x more potent than CO2,” making livestock especially detrimental to our environment.

As our global population grows, so too does our meat consumption. Currently, biodiverse areas such as the Amazon rainforest and the Congo Basin are suffering from massive deforestation, being converted from forest ecosystems to grazing pastures for livestock herds and palm oil plantations. The less plants and trees there are to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere the warmer our planet becomes

In addition to being the largest greenhouse gas emitter, the livestock sector is also:

#1 cause of biodiversity loss
#1 cause of habitat destruction
#1 cause of eutrophication (78%)
#1 cause of decline in aquatic ecosystems
#1 consumer of freshwater (70%)

Additionally, commercial agricultural production relies heavily on the use of fertilizers, the majority of which are made synthetically. Synthetic fertilizers are typically made with petroleum aka crude oil aka fossil fuels, which can lead to the pollution of nearby water sources causing eutrophication and marine life die offs.

Altogether, more than ~ 43% of the Earth’s ice and desert-free surface is covered in cultivated crops and livestock. That is nearly half of the entire plant.

So what can we, the concerned environmentalist do to help you may ask? Well, one of the best ways to fight climate change is by switching to a plant-based diet.

THE RESEARCH

An animal-based diet takes up an enormous amount of resources, making it one of the most unsustainable practices on the planet. According to a recent article published in Science Magazine, “in the United States, meat consumption per capita is 3x the global average” (Poore & Nemeck, 2018). Moving away from an animal-based diet to a plant-based or vegan diet could “reduce agricultural emissions by up to a staggering 73%,” which equates to saving one million liters of water per person per year (Poore & Nemeck, 2018). In land area terms, that’s the equivalent of freeing up the entire continent of Africa.

Researchers also found that “Meat, dairy, eggs and aquaculture (fish farming) use about 83% of the world’s farmland and contribute 56 to 58% of food’s different emissions, yet provide only 18% of the world’s calories” (Poore & Nemeck, 2018). This vast disparity and the problems it wrecks on our environment can be mitigated through altering our eating habits.

Take an American dining staple: the hamburger. One hamburger patty alone requires 2,400 liters of embedded water. Doing something as simple as opting for a veggie burger instead can eliminate all of that unnecessary water use. It can also prove to be a huge benefit to your health.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS

As it turns out, what is typically good for your health is also good for the environment. Win-Win!

A study done by the Department of Nutrition in the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University found that people who get all their protein from plants reduce their risk of heart disease and hypertension by a whopping 55% (Le & Sabaté, 2014).

Studies have also shown that eating meat and other animals products can have a negative effect on endothelial function, causing the endothelium to contract, resulting in the restriction of blood flow throughout the body.

It’s no secret that a diet heavy in meat and dairy products is directly correlated with higher cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart disease. Thankfully, people have steadily been listening to doctor’s warnings. In the last decade, beef consumption has decreased by 19% (M. Sanjayan). While 19% may be leagues away from fully eliminating red meat in our diet’s, it’s a good start in reducing our ecological footprint.

RECIPES & MORE

When facing the realities of climate change, it is easy to feel discouraged, but changing what we eat is one of the simplest and most effective ways we can make a difference.

Often, people feel they cannot switch to a plant-based diet because they believe it won’t provide adequate protein. Amazingly, some of the top athletes in the world are vegans, including tennis star Venus Williams, famed ultramarathon runner Scott Jurek and football player/activist Colin Kaepernick. Even one of the strongest men alive is vegan.

You can learn all about it in MMA heavyweight champion Jamie Wilk’s documentary The Game Changers, available on Netflix and get delicious recipes for vegan meals and tips on how to optimize your health at their website.

Another common misconception is that a vegan, plant-based meal just isn’t as delicious or satisfying as an animal-based meal. For all of you skeptics out there, here are 54 hearty and diverse flavor-filled dishes, ranging from ramen noodles to Caesar salad and even chocolate mousse, that will surely change your mind.

If you are interested in trying out veganism, but aren’t exactly sure where to start, take the 30-day vegan challenge and see how you like it. If that is still too daunting start small by swapping your 2% to oak milk or cutting back on how much meat you eat in week.

Remember, your actions do make a difference and any step towards a plant-base diet is a step in the right direction for our environment. You can learn more about climate change and how you can help fight it here.

Kate is a senior at UCLA studying Literature and the Environment. Over the last four years, she has cultivated her passion for travel, environmental journalism and gardening. She is a native of Los Angeles.

How a Plant-Based Diet Fights Climate Change

THE FACTS

THE RESEARCH

THE HEALTH BENEFITS

RECIPES & MORE

Kate is a senior at UCLA studying Literature and the Environment. Over the last four years, she has cultivated her passion for travel, environmental journalism and gardening. She is a native of Los Angeles.

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THE FACTS

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Kate is a senior at UCLA studying Literature and the Environment. Over the last four years, she has cultivated her passion for travel, environmental journalism and gardening. She is a native of Los Angeles.

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