Greetings fellow herbivores, and welcome to a blog post on why I think that veganism is going to save the environment after already ranting about how it will save your health.
There are so many reasons why one may want to consider becoming vegan or even vegetarian. Some people make the switch for their health and some make the switch for the environment and animal welfare.
I chose to be vegan originally when I learned how much eating meat was hurting the environment. I thought it just made more sense, especially living in a place that offers a wide variety of reliable alternatives in a local store.
As easy as it was to say I wanted to be vegan I had to do a sufficient amount of research to ensure that it was sustainable by making sure I was watching my nutrient levels and health.
Once I knew how to sustain the diet, I was ready to get into the groove of veganism.
Though the reason for me becoming vegan was to save the planet, it also really helped my health in ways I may not know for a long time. I could age better, or maintain bone and muscle health longer, or I could maintain brain health longer than I potentially would have if not for veganism. There really is no way to know.
No matter what, even if it made little difference to my health, it would still be worth every second. Saving animals lives, becoming more aware, and helping the environment were definite outcomes of this dietary change, it will always be a win win situation in my eyes.
Recognizing that being vegan and vegetarian makes a huge difference. Potentially saving 365 animals lives per year, saving forests from being exploited, saving soil health globally, becoming part of a community, decreasing my carbon footprint, promoting the potential to end world hunger, decrease food borne illnesses globally, save my water footprint, and prepare myself for self sustainability.
I decided to do myself a service and in turn help the world by my one decision, not to eat meat.
I will break down this article into 10 sections that include; deforestation, soil health, vegan community, global food shortages, food borne illness, animal welfare, water and carbon footprint, and self sustainability.
Deforestation
Though I already did a post on deforestation and how veganism can help stop it, I will briefly touch on the main concepts.
91% of deforestation is due to animal agriculture, and 14.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the meat industry.
If we eliminated meat from our diets, we would decrease deforestation, especially of very important forests like the amazon, by 91% as well as decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by 14.6%.
This is enough to save us some time for those of you watching the count down clock in New York City. It says we have approximately 7 years to change our ways until climate change is “irreversible”. Our meat consumption would be a very effective aspect of our lives to change.
There are many environmental aspects that come along with deforestation including carbon emissions, water and air quality, soil health (desertification), endangered species, and habitat loss.
Forests are very important in maintaining earth balance for our survival, destroying our forests because of outdated conservation ideology is going to make this planet inhabitable within the foreseeable future.
Veganism will have a positive impact on the land and will nearly halt deforestation from being necessary to create land to raise animals for the Western World demand for meat.
Soil Health
Animals in places like South America are either corn fed or grass fed. Both of these are crops, neither of which are natural for animals to eat. Animals too need a variety in their diet, grass, corn, weeds, and other naturally occurring grains depending on the animal.
Corn especially is renowned for absorbing high amount of nitrogen, especially to have the high yield farmers need to feed their animals. When the crop is harvested and replanted for next year the soil is given no time or a cover crop to allow it to replenish its nutrients, especially nitrogen.
Desertification of crops is very common, when the ground is no longer able to absorb the chemical nitrogen fertilizer the farmer is using the farmer is left with unhealthy, poor quality sandy soil.
Animals compact the soil they live their lives on if they are not rotated between fields, which is a common sustainability practice not required or recommended in the majority of high cattle producing countries.
Chemical fertilizers added to the soil have high run off rates getting into the water system as well which I will talk about shortly.
As you will notice, everything is highly connected, and the beginning of this large chain of events starts from needing land to grow crops or to raise animals because we demand it here.
Vegan Community
I have found the vegan community to be very supportive and full of healthy knowledge that meat eaters don’t experience the same. Whether it is because we are aware that eating meat is cruel and unhealthy and that makes us happier, or maybe it is because we want to uplift other people for making the same decision as us.
Either way, vegan communities are supportive of each other in a way no other community I have seen has been.
There was a statement once that I saw on Instagram that said “People who eat less meat are more compassionate”.
This makes a lot of sense to me because people who are able to see that humans have no right to decide when and how another being dies are more ethical and empathetic.
Being able to put yourself in the shoes of a female cow makes you compassionate for what she has to go through just for you to have a glass of milk or veal. You are drinking the milk that was meant to feed her baby that you are eating.
Knowing that there is so much pain in the world allows people to realize that there is a need for some good and positivity. The vegan community really highlights the need for compassion and positivity.
Vegans that have pets treat their pets more kindly than people who eat meat and have pets. I am of the belief that cows and dogs should have the same rights.
I follow farm sanctuaries on Instagram and seeing some f these baby cows hoping around or playing with toys really shows that cows are so much like dogs.
Another fun fact, pigs have the ability to have the brain capacity of a 2 year old child. This is actually smarter than dogs!
Global Food Shortages
Now for the fun statement, “If the whole world went vegan”. There would be no such thing as a global food shortage.
Currently we make enough food to feed the planet 3 times over, but food waste is a serious problem in the Western world and food accessibility is a serious problem in places like northern Canada (Nunavut).
If the places that could go vegan, which is the majority of the Western countries and equatorial regions where growing seasons are 10 or more months of the year. There would be more than enough food and our efforts could be focused more fully on food accessibility for places where food cant be grown or tyrannical governments are preventing citizens from accessing the food that there is.
The amount of land that is dedicated to growing food for animals and raising animals, if re-allocated to growing food in a sustainable manner would supply endless food and resources to the entire world.
Another solution would be to create locally sustainable farming to cut down on emissions from transporting produce.
Food Borne Illnesses
Animals feces and urine is full of nitrogen, that is why it is commonly used as fertilizer on fields. The problem with this is that the soil uptakes the “fertilizer”, some of it runs off into water ways, the rest goes into the crop that is planted there whether for human consumption of for the animals.
The animals and/or communities are consuming this produce and this is how many food borne illnesses are created.
Animals and humans have always released their excrement into water systems, and this contaminates the water, especially with the high volume of it that is released.
The high nitrogen content and other characteristics are breading grounds for many types or organisms such as E.coli and cholera. Bacteria thrive in these environments, and multiply very quickly when warm.
Our water treatment system luckily has been created to remove bacteria and sludge from the system. Though, feces is still used to grow a large portion of our food.
Often times when lettuce or spinach is re-called it is because it was not washed properly and was grown in feces which has caused some people to become ill.
Without animal agriculture, we would not have animal waste that needs to be used for something, so crops would no longer be grown using feces and instead using compost and in-organic fertilizers which decreases the likelihood of food borne illnesses coming from food and water (our basic human needs).
Animal Welfare
I have covered much of how veganism stops the exploitation and abuse of animals, but here I will continue to give insight.
All living things experience pain. Whether it be a cow, chicken, fish, or even plants. This of course is a fact but it also stems from ecocentrism.
Ecocentrism is the idea that every living thing has intrinsic value. This means that every living thing is important and has a life in its own right. Everything has a purpose.
This means that cows have a purpose of their own, they are not on this earth to feed humans, but to grow and live organically and uniquely.
Same goes for a plant. Some plants have mechanisms that express their feelings. Whether they change colour, emit a toxin when harmed, or react in a subtle way. They are communicating with us that what we did hurt them.
This goes for plant disease as well, there is a cure to every disease. This could be their way in communicating that there is too much carbon dioxide in the air, or they are being eaten by an unknown predator and is warning other plants to defend themselves from it.
Plants really are fascinating.
When people say fish don’t feel pain, or they have short memories, I recall my first and only time fishing. I was on a river in Southern Ontario, and I caught a small fish, as soon as I grabbed it and felt it wiggling with fear I couldn’t do it. When my dad took over and started pulling the hook out it began to scream like one would expect a fish to scream for its life.
I have not fished since and I do not plan on it unless I need to for survival. Even then I would rather forage for plants, nuts, and berries than kill another living being.
I saw another post on Instagram that stated “Humans are scared of aliens because we are scared that they will treat us how we treat other animals”.
We torture and kill so needlessly, we breed animals in terrible conditions just to slaughter them and eat them. That is no way for anything to live.
Even lab rats and monkeys that are tested on for cosmetics and new chemical products on the market are tested just for that. Given diseases to be given vaccines to see if they work. If not, the animal lives the rest of its life in pain or is killed and thrown aside as a failure.
Being vegan and understanding the value of a life avoids all of this unnecessary hate.
Water and Carbon Footprints
More people are becoming aware of how to reduce their water and carbon footprints. I even remember being in grade 8, going on the computers and answering some questions. Then it tells you how many planets we would need if everyone lived like me. I got 2 planets.
Here are links to see your water footprint and carbon footprint.
One question on here is about your diet, one thing that you will see is that if you say you eat a vegan diet you vastly reduce your footprint!
These calculators take into consideration all of the things that I have discussed about how veganism saves the planet. It is good to know your consumption so that you know how to reduce it even more.
The amount of water needed to produce cow milk is over 10x the amount of water needed to produce almond milk, and even more than the amount needed for oat milk.
Carbon footprints are decreased by being vegan because of less packaging, less transportation of meat (usually South America), and less deforestation.
Raising animals means providing water and food for them. These resources are scarce in many parts of the world. Rather than producing animals for people to eat using resources humans could eat, skip the middle step and just produce food.
Self Sustainability
Being vegan means that you probably eat way more vegetables and fruits and legumes than your meat eating friends. This means that growing your own food can vastly cut grocery bills.
Growing your own food for a vegan diet is way more sustainable and cost effective than trying to raise all of the animals you enjoy killing and eating.
It is super easy to grow your own food versus trying to raise animals also because plants require fewer resources and are more cost effective, especially with seed saving.
You can build a community on a garden, helping neighbours, helping family, and helping yourself survive in a survival situation.
We are starting to lose our abilities and connections with nature to be able to grow food and medicine for ourselves. This is why there are people out there considered “preppers” or “survivalists”. Because they have the necessary skills to survive a change in the system.
Grocery stores are relatively new, especially to the extent that we know them now having exotic fruits, vegetables, canned, and frozen goods. Before grocery stores there were markets, local food, people knew what was in season, people knew how to make their food food from earth and seeds to a full meal.
Grocery stores are based on a monetary system the economy being stable, in the event that the economy collapses or becomes unstable, grocery stores will not be able to maintain their reliability and being able to grow your own food or already having the space, equipment, and seeds will be incredibly vital.
Part of gardening is also reconnecting with nature and getting your hands in the dirt. It is spiritually healing to make this connection and feel the vibrations that the earth has to heal us.
I hope to make another blog post just on these points of self sustainability and its relation to a vegan diet.
Closing Remarks
Thank you so much for sticking with me through this very important rant.
Understanding how much you are doing for the planet by just changing your dietary choices is incredible. Being able to say that you are one more drop in an ocean of people changing the world for the better by making healthier choices.
Keep a look out for my next blog post on self sustainability!
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