by Amanda Froelich
True Activist
According to a new UN report, "A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty, and the worst impacts of climate change.”
Veggie burgers, green smoothies, rainbow salads galore, the theme of ‘going green’ is a fad no more. In fact, it’s a lifestyle choice that has inspired countless individuals around the world to limit their consumption of meat and the large-scale agricultural farms that produce them. And that’s not all, according to a recently released report by the UN, going vegan is the best chance we have at saving the world from environmental disaster.
Because large-scale agriculture is considered to be the #1 cause of deforestation, water pollution, air pollution, and monoculture saturation, such claim certainly seems accurate, and this is exactly what the UN reported.
Credit: GrandToursProject
According to The Guardian, “a global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty, and the worst impacts of climate change.” In the report, it is noted that the Western preference for meat and dairy-heavy diets is “unsustainable,” especially as the population is expected to grow to 9.1 billion by the year 2050.
In the report, it is also stated that “animal products cause more damage than [producing] construction minerals such as sand or cement, plastics or metals.” Add in that livestock raised for meat consumes a large portion of the world’s crops and a lot of freshwater, and there seems little room to dispute that every person needs to consider how they can cut down on their consumption of animal-based foods.
Credit: Ecorazzi
Agriculture, specifically meat and dairy, currently accounts for 70 percent of the world’s freshwater consumption. It also accounts for 39 percent of the globe’s total land use and 19 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions.
An important point to consider is that as the population grows, the impact from agriculture will substantially grow as well, thanks to the increasing consumption of animal products. The report notes that “unlike fossil fuels, it is difficult to look for alternatives.” The only option is to cut down on the number of animal products consumed.
Credit: Media33
In summary, there is no better time to be mindful and opt for wholesome, plant-based complete proteins sources (like hemp, tofu, chia seeds, leafy greens, and more) over animal products than the present. Such a choice – even if a few times per week – has shown to be one of the best ways to ensure a more sustainable world with plenty of wholesome, nutritious crops for future generations to come.
http://www.riseearth.com/2015/04/going-vegan-could-save-world-reports-un.html?m=1
Replies
KRISHNA: vegans do generally live longer lives and have fewer hospital stays compared to meat eaters. But vegans still refuse to address the issue of the body's need for certain supplements that unfortunately are derived from animal protein. And while it is unfortunate that humans have canine teeth and produce enzymes that are suited for and target animal protein for metabolism, I do feel that this body function design indicates that some animal protein components are a necessary evil for optimal health. But yes, overall, vegans and vegetarians do live longer than meat eaters overall.
Important supplements such omega 3, phospholipids, cholesterol, and fatty acids are not found in sufficient quantities in a vegan or vegetarian diet (and these supplements are needed by the body in small quantities). Omega 3 helps with vascular tissue maintenance in the heart (and it comes from fish), and phospholipids and fatty acids are derived from animal protein (and help with proper nerve functioning). Cholesterol (which is also from animal protein in large amounts) helps with brain functioning; drugs that lower cholesterol (such as Lipitor) are believed to be contributing factors for Alzeimers since it lowers cholesterol amounts needed by the brain.
I have nothing against vegans or vegetarians; I was a vegetarian and I dropped from 160 pounds to 120 pounds in six months. But you are kidding yourself if you believe that there will be zero health issues with such a diet; I watched an elderly man in the Hare Krishna movement have nerve disorders due to his lifelong vegetarianism. But he was very healthy overall, as was most elderly people in the movement.
Don't PANIC EAT ORGANIC
BECOME VEGAN TO SAVE MOTHER EARTH
Be grateful to her for letting you stay here
It's basic common sence if anybody wants to lead a highly tuned spiritiual life then they should watch what they eat and cut out eating dead animal corpses and become Vegetarian then VEGAN and BEYOND
Ascension and Awakening ...upgrading and uplifting Mother Earth is to stop causing any harm to her and living entities.
IF YOU CANT DIGEST THIS THEN YOU ARE AN UNWELCOME ALIEN ON PLANET EARTH