5 Ways Going Vegan Helps Our Planet

1. Meat production is really resource-intensive

Producing meat requires vast amounts of land, water, fertilizer, and oil. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it takes 1,100 gallons of water to produce just two pounds of chicken. That’s not even an entire chicken (or a really little one!) and it’s enough water to fill about 25 bathtubs.

2. Animal agribusiness produces massive amounts of greenhouse gases

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization said that animal agribusiness is responsible for about 15 percent of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. Plant-based foods, on the other hand, have a much lower carbon footprint than animal-based foods.

3. Meat production is an inefficient way to use our resources.

The amount of crops currently fed to farmed animals could feed an extra 4 billion people. International relief organization Oxfam estimates that about 795 million people suffer worldwide from malnutrition. So we’re actually feeding more grains to farm animals than we could use to address global malnutrition.

4. The fishing industry takes a huge toll on our oceans

Not only do fishing trawlers scrape the bottom of the ocean floor destroying everything in their path, but they’re also destroying the great mammals of our oceans.

According to the National Resources Defense Council, nearly 750,000 marine mammals (including whales and dolphins) are killed accidentally every single year by fishing vessels. Fro comparison, commercial global whaling kills about 2,000 animals. The greatest threat to whales isn’t whaling boats but rather our consumption of fish.

5. Eating a plant-based diet helps wildlife.

The Centre for Biological Diversity found that 80 percent of agricultural land in the United States is used to raise animals and their feed. Natural vegetation is destroyed to make room for growing crops to feed farm animals, which destroys natural habitats, delicate ecosystems, and native species.

When we eat our vegetables we’re not just making our moms happy. We’re making Mother Earth happy too.

You can read more tips from Kristie Middleton at her website and in her book: Meatless: Transform the Way You Eat and Live One Meal At A Time.