5 Reasons to go Vegan for the Environment
Eating meat contributes to the destruction of rainforests; 80% of annual world deforestation is related to animal agriculture. www.sciencedaily.com
Livestock raised for meat produces so much carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide per year that it’s the leading cause of climate change. www.worldwatch.org
About half of the worlds grain and about three quarters of various major crops in the U.S. are fed to livestock animals. Meanwhile, about 1 billion people chronically suffer from hunger and malnutrition. www.news.cornell.edu
A typical meat-eater consumes foods in 1 day that require about 4,000 gallons of water to produce, compared to 1,200 for an ovo-lacto vegetarian and 300 for a vegan.www.onegreenplanet.org
Commercial fishing is causing the collapse of the world’s fisheries, destroying marine ecosystems, heavily polluting our oceans, and contributing to “dead zones”.www.onegreenplanet.org
OTHER RESOURCES:
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization whose mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species. www.seashepherd.org
Cowspiracy is a groundbreaking documentary that uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today – and investigates why the world’s leading environmental organizations are too afraid to talk about it. www.cowspiracy.com
MORE READING:
Diet for a Small Planet, Frances Moore Lappé
Eating Animals, Jonathan Safran Foer