From hurricanes
and record amounts of rainfall to wildfires and devastating droughts, extreme
weather linked to climate change is becoming more common.
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our
time, and scientists warn that if we don’t take appropriate measures now,
extreme weather will only get worse. And while not
everyone can afford an electric car or solar panels, there is something we can
all do: go vegan.
Sounds simple, right? That’s because it is. By merely avoiding
animal products, you cut your carbon footprint in half.
Raising animals
for food produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars, planes,
and other forms of transportation combined. According to the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, carbon dioxide emissions from
raising farmed animals make up about 15 percent of global human-induced
emissions, with beef and milk production as the leading culprits. In fact, even
without fossil fuels, we will exceed our 565-gigaton CO2e limit by 2030—all from raising animals for food.
Consider these eye-opening facts:
- A pound of beef requires 13 percent more fossil fuel to produce than a pound of soy.
- Animals raised for food produce 7 million pounds of excrement every minute.
- Animal agriculture is culpable for nearly 91 percent of Amazon rainforest destruction, according to the World Bank.
- Raising animals for food (including land for grazing and growing feed crops) now uses over one-third of Earth’s landmass.
Just as there is no longer a debate over whether climate
change is real, there is no question that animal agriculture is terrible for
the planet. With plant-based alternatives to meat, dairy, and eggs requiring a fraction
of the resources to produce than their animal-based counterparts, going vegan
is truly a no-brainer.
But switching to a plant-based diet isn’t only good for the planet;
it also spares countless animals a life of misery at factory farms. Pigs, cows, chickens, and other farmed
animals suffer horribly. The truth is, if we treated just one dog or cat
the way the meat, dairy, and egg industries treat billions of animals, we’d be
behind bars for animal abuse.
See for yourself.
The time to act on climate change is now. Join the millions
of people who are helping protect farmed animals and the planet by switching to
a vegan diet. Click here to get started!