Climate change is a reality – How can we contribute?

Warm climate, melting glaciers, changing rainfall patterns, rising sea levels, etc. – we are well-aware of these consequences of climate change, there is no question of ‘how real is climate change’. Some of us blame various industrialists and multinational organizations for climate change and leave it to the major environmental bodies to deal with this issue. Sure, there are some people who try to do their bit by recycling their waste, planting more trees, leading an environment-friendly life. However, there is one more thing we all can do to fight climate change – eat plant-based diet. Wondering how? This article will help you understand. But first, let’s take a look at the climate change and its impact on our planet.

A Brief about Climate Change

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Climate change is described as the change in average weather patterns over a long time, which define the Earth’s local, regional and global climates. These changes have been observed since the early 20th century, which can be primarily attributed to human activities like fossil fuel burning, which leads to increase in greenhouse gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, and increase the temperature of Earth’s surface; this is termed as global warming. Some natural processes can also lead to climate change, such as internal variability like cyclical ocean patterns, and external forces like volcanic activity. In the past couple of years, scientists have studied that animal-based foods can also contribute to climate change.

Animal-based foods and Climate Change: What is the relation?

It is strange to think that the meat that is served on our dinner plate contributes to climate change. Well, it would help you understand if you think how this meat came to your plate. 

The food system is complicated, which has unique requirements and extraordinary impacts. Over 60 billion land animals are produced for consumption, which require about half of our agricultural land for food and pasture. The livestock emit carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, harmful gases that attribute to about 18 to 20 percent of greenhouse gases annually. This is only the second largest source of greenhouse gases. The largest contributors to increase in greenhouse gases include fossil fuel that power tractors, fishing vessels, other means of transport, processing of the meat, chemicals used in various staging of processing, refrigeration, supermarkets, etc. Other food-related emissions such as farming, deforestation, food waste and so on, makes the animal-based foods one among the number one list of climate change. 

A study reported that about 51% of greenhouse gas emissions come from animal agriculture, particularly cattle, goats, buffalos, sheep, pigs and camels, which are raised for obtaining food products and meat consumption. 

Moreover, the dietary greenhouse gas emissions is almost two times more by individuals who eat meat than vegetarians, and 2.5 times more than vegans (individuals who do not consume eggs, dairy products and other animal-derived foods). In other words, the dietary emissions for meat eaters are 50- 54% higher than they are for vegetarians, and 99-102% higher when compared to that of vegans. 

Can adopting a plant-based diet help?

A global shift to a plant-based or a vegan diet is essential in protecting the plant from the catastrophic impacts of climate change. A study indicated that every individual can decrease their dietary greenhouse gas emissions by upto 50 % by going vegan. 

More and more people adopting a plant-based diet, increases the demand of plant-based food products and decreases the demand for animal foods. Plant-based foods, significantly decreases the emissions, causes less damage to freshwater resources and ecosystems. The land that is used for livestock can be preserved for agricultural farming. 

Plant-based diet can also an end to animal cruelty that is often overlooked; it can protect the animals suffering in factory farms, where they are tormented for meat and dairy consumption. 

Thus, plant based-diet helps fight against climate change, protect the animals, the ecosystem and our planet earth, while preventing chronic diseases. Well, this seems like a win-win situation for everybody. Let’s take a pledge to adopt a plant-based diet and save our planet!

References: 

1. Going vegan can help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Down to Earth.
   https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/going-vegan-can-help-reduce-greenhousegas-emissions-49341#:~:text=This%20also%20means%20that%20everyone,cent%E2%80%94just%20by%20going%20vegan.
   Accessed on May 18, 2021.
   
2. David A. Cleveland, Quentin Gee, 9 – Plant-Based Diets for Mitigating Climate Change, Editor(s): François Mariotti, Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diets in Health and Disease Prevention, Academic Press, 2017, Pages 135-156, ISBN 9780128039687
   
3. Fight Climate Change by Going Vegan. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals.
   https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/global-warming/.
   Accessed on May 18, 2021.
   
4. Plant-based eating. Humane Society International.
   https://www.hsi.org/issues/plant-based-eating/. 
   
5. Overview: Weather, Global Warming and Climate Change. NASA Global Climate Change.
   https://climate.nasa.gov/resources/global-warming-vs-climate-change/.
   Accessed on May 18, 2021.
   
6. Eating Plant-Based Diets Can Play a Huge Role in Limiting the Effects of Climate Change. Bioneers.
   https://bioneers.org/eating-plant-based-diets-can-play-huge-role-limiting-effects-climate-change-ze0z1709/.
   Accessed on May 18, 2021.
   
7. Un Report: Plant-Based Diets Provide “Major Opportunities” To Address Climate Crisis. Earthday.org.
   https://www.earthday.org/un-report-plant-based-diets-provide-major-opportunities-to-address-climate-crisis/.
   Accessed on May 18, 2021.

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