Climate change is real and happening now, and we need to act. Plant-based foods are predicted to play a major role in the future, with many expected to switch to meat-free proteins to reduce their environmental impact over the coming years.
According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, livestock farming generates as many carbon emissions as all the world’s transport combined. We know animal farming uses way more land, water, and energy than vegan alternatives.
A 2022 scientific study published in Nutrients stated, “It is time for developed nations to commit to red meat reduction targets and shift to plant-based dietary patterns.”Key Takeaways
Change is necessary, and now. Plant-based foods have an essential role to play in changing minds, changing diets, and hopefully preventing catastrophic climate chaos. Here’s how plant based foods are going to swoop in and save the world:
1. By Making A Big Difference
The animal farming industry has spent years convincing everybody that they’re not the problem. They’ve tried to throw blame in other directions (including, hilariously, at vegans who consume the most planet-friendly diet out there) and distract people from the obvious. Animal farming is terrible for the planet (say it louder for the people at the back). Climate scientists have been saying this for years; now it’s time for everybody to listen.
According to the United Nations, switching to a vegan diet can reduce your carbon footprint by 2.1 tons. This is huge, and it should motivate people to make changes in their lives today.2. By Offering A Simple Solution
Buying an electric car is expensive, and many people won’t have the funds to make that switch today. Avoiding flights might seem impossible for those far from friends and family. Climate science can be complicated and confusing, but a vegan diet offers an easy solution.
Change your food to reduce your impact on the planet; it’s that simple. Take it one meal at a time. Next time you head to the grocery store, stock up on plant-based alternatives and find vegan products you love.
3. By Letting Individuals Take Charge
One particularly frustrating aspect of climate change is that big businesses and governments have all the power. As a single person, it’s easy to feel helpless in the face of climate change. However, adopting a vegan diet will allow you to take back control. Instead of waiting for the bad suits in power to come to their senses, you can take charge of your diet today. Keep campaigning and calling for change, but in the meantime, eat a more sustainable diet.
4. By Tackling More Than Greenhouse Gases
Climate change isn’t just about greenhouse gas emissions. We also need to consider land use to feed a growing population (birth rates may be dropping but people are living longer than ever). We must find ways to cut our water use, reduce our impact on the land, and avoid harsh chemicals. Switching to a plant-based diet can help with all of these things.
Joseph Poore, a climate scientist from Oxford University, said: “A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use. It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car.”
5. By Offering A Quick Change
It’s hard to write about climate change without sounding melodramatic. When the average person ignores the impending climate crisis, you seem mad if you talk about it with any sense of urgency. However, this is a crisis that is already impacting people across the world. You have likely noticed increasing news reports of wildfires, floods, and extreme weather conditions. Climate change will lead to more frequent weather catastrophes, deaths, and tragedies.
We can’t ignore climate change any longer. We must tackle this issue head-on and do our best to minimize climate chaos. You can start right now by switching to a plant-based diet.
6. By Tasting Great
As an old-school vegan, I’m happiest when cowing down on legumes and beans (ok, and vegan chocolate), but these foods might not convince die-hard meat fans to switch to a planet-friendly diet. Luckily, the vegan meat revolution of recent years has made great strides towards healthy, tasty, animal-free protein that even meat-eaters love.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Climate change is scary, and it can be challenging to get your head around. We know it’s real; it’s already in motion, so what can we do to stop it? How can we mobilize to prevent catastrophic climate change? The answer is three-fold. We need to demand governments implement real change to prevent climate change. We must stop supporting big businesses that don’t take climate change seriously. And we need to take individual action to reduce our impact on the planet. Switching to a vegan diet is an easy way to do that, so ditch the meat and start eating for a more sustainable future.
“Transformation to healthy diets by 2050 will require substantial dietary shifts. Global consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes will have to double, and consumption of foods such as red meat and sugar will have to be reduced by more than 50%. A diet rich in plant-based foods and with fewer animal source foods confers both improved health and environmental benefits.”
— Walter Willett, Harvard Professor, EAT-Lancet report
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