Become vegan.
The number one thing you can do to save the earth (plus your health and animals) is to switch to a vegan lifestyle.
Veganism is not a new thing, but it is an upcoming trend. More and more people are learning about the benefits of becoming vegan- the benefit to our planet, the benefit to the animals, and the benefit to our health.
Do you know how much of our land mass is used to raise the food we eat? Do you know how much of our land mass is used to raise the food to feed the animals we eat? It is a staggering amount. This land use is contributing to the deforestation of the rainforest as well as the pollution of our water due to the waste runoff from the animals. The methane gas the animals emit contributes to the climate change we are experiencing. If the land we are using today to grow food for animals was used to grow plants to feed people, we could feed so many people in the world. But do they advertise that?
I did not know, or even think about, the cost of animal agriculture on our planet until my daughter showed me a couple documentaries over winter break. They were called “Cowspiracy”© and “What the Health”© and were on Netflix. My daughter also mentioned she watched another documentary called Earthlings. I watched less than ten seconds of the preview and knew I could not watch that show, as it would be too heartbreaking. Watching that documentary alone could be enough to turn someone onto a vegan lifestyle. That documentary shows a lot of the truth, something that is really not shown in the meat, dairy, and egg industry. They don’t show you, for obvious reasons, the forcible insemination of cows, their babies getting taken away from them, and the cows getting abused and beaten by metal bars. These industries really want to keep a boundary between your food and you. They don’t want you to know what happened to the animals to get them from the factory farm to your plate. They profit off of doubt. These industries hold on to the excuses of tradition and your tastebuds and think that that will be enough to keep their profits high. We need to stand up to these inhumane companies and refuse to support them.
Along with the meat and dairy industry, the egg industry is very cruel as well. In the egg industry, all male chicks are killed within the first 4 hours of their life by either a grinder, a gas chamber, or being suffocated by being thrown in plastic bags. An average hen in the wild produces 12 eggs a year. However, with the amount of antibiotics given to factory farm chickens in the egg industry, a chicken lays 300-400 eggs a year. This in turn causes the hens to develop bone conditions and health problems because of the amount of calcium that is needed to produce just one egg is tenfold that of the hens entire skeleton. These documentaries really opened my eyes to what I do every time I eat meat, eggs, or dairy. The role I play by eating these things is a supporting role. When I choose to eat one of these foods, I am telling these companies that I support what they do. I support how they produce their food each step of the way- from the land use to house, feed, and support these animals, to the raising of these animals, to the killing of these animals, to the final production of the products that we buy off the shelves at the grocery stores.
Well, when I saw this all up close via these documentaries and others I have watched now, I concluded that I would not take a supporting role any longer. I do not agree with how these animals are treated. I do not agree with how these animals are housed, and I do not agree with all the land use that is being used to support these companies greedy nature.
Greed is what it all comes down to. We do not need animal products to live a healthy life. In fact, with all the obesity we see around us, we know this is true. We do not need a fast food restaurant on every corner. We do not need to eat meat at every meal. We are supporting these companies. We are telling them we need more and more. We need to reverse this trend. If we don’t buy it, they won’t have to make it.
One example of this is the dairy industry. Because more people are drinking almond milk, oat milk, etc., dairy production has been reduced. I remember hearing a doctor in one of the documentaries saying that dairy milk is made for baby cows- it is baby calf growth fluid. It is meant to make that calf 400lbs. It is not meant for human consumption. We don’t feed our mother’s breast milk to another animal. Makes a lot of sense to me.
I have watched multiple documentaries that show the health benefits of a vegan lifestyle. Changing to a vegan diet can even reverse some health issues. Forks over Knives© is a documentary on Netflix that shows how this is possible. It is fascinating. I think that the health industry does not really want us to hear these stories as it would affect their bottom line. Again, it comes down to greed.
We have the power to make things happen. In our house there are two people that are vegan, and two people who are not. But, the two that are not vegan are drinking almond milk now and are open to trying foods we prepare that are vegan- even liking some of those options. If you have ever heard of “Meatless Mondays,” you know that it was a way to help lower the amount of meat we eat to improve our health and to help change the effect meat production has on the planet. But, is one day a week enough?
I am happy to see so many companies coming out with plant-based foods. They know that it is a trend right now, so they are jumping at the chance to make a buck. Hopefully, it will become a lifestyle for many more people, and the demand will be greater. Restaurants are coming out with more vegan options, so that is great to see. I love to go out to eat, but it is challenging to find vegan entrees.
Most of us have a little extra time on our hands right now. If you are willing, watch the documentaries listed above and become aware of the impact you have on this planet. You can make a difference.