Plant-Based Diet
Facts:
- The annual methane output of raising one cow is the equivalent of driving a car 7,800 miles per year.
- Livestock is responsible for 18 percent of all anthropogenic (human-caused) greenhouse gas emissions.
- It takes 75 times more energy to produce meat than corn.
- Runoff from factory farms and livestock grazing is a major contributor to the pollution of rivers and lakes.
- Raising animals for food has been linked to deforestation, and poor soil quality.
- A vegetarian diet requires 17x less land and 14x less water than a diet including animal protein.
Be a Plant-Based HoW Changer
- Refuse
University of Michigan and Tulane University published a study Implications of Future US Diet Scenarios on Greenhouse Gas Emissions
proving that even a partially plant-based diet impacts the planet. If you aren’t ready to go 100% vegan, you will still make significant impact by cutting the amount of animal proteins you ingest by 40-50%, which equates to switching approximately 8 meals/week to plant-based. Click here to learn more about our #8meals campaign. - Replace
Adopting a vegan diet is “the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use, and water use.” - Request
Ask your favorite restaurants to add more plant-based options. They are happy to add them by patron’s request as they are more cost-effective options for the restaurants. - Rally
Share with friends! and take the #8meals challenge! Host a plant-based potluck dinner to introduce new options to friends. Many new plant-based products that are available make this transition much easier and more interesting. - Rethink
Some believe that switching to a pescatarian (fish only) diet is helpful, but fishing nets are the leading contributor of plastic pollution in our oceans. A plant-based diet is the most eco-friendly change you can make.
“If we really care about the world our children and grandchildren will inherit, we do need to shift toward a vegan diet. And the good news is that it’s not just our planet that will be more healthy, but we will be more healthy as well.”
Dr. Walter Willett
Harvard School of Public Heath
