Author name: Prachi Awasthi

Hey, planet! We heard you chit-chatting with your neighboring planets about how we treat you like “the ex” you would rather block from the life cycle. Even Nasa says something is very weird about the Earth’s Vibe; we know the damage we devised for our self-benefit (typical behavior) and completely overlooked the notion of catering back to you. Like red flags, We are sorry for devouring the environmental source and ignoring thousands of warning signs. 

The current climate crisis, like rising global temperatures, warming ocean temperatures, shrinking ice sheets, glacial retreats, decreased snow cover, rising sea levels, declining arctic sea ice, extreme weather events, and ocean acidification, is because of the unhealthy connection between the environment and humans (Relatable much?) Our ignorance has led to the world turning upside-down; we love you, Earth, and it wrenches our hearts, so we have decided to take an earthy step to reform and restore the glory!

As the alarming sounds are present in the atmosphere, it’s time we should think about how we are affecting the chain of life. The Earth is hungry for change, and our contribution is all that matters.

How does Veganism Affect the Environment?

As individuals, we can positively change how we interact with our environment. Our food cycle is shattered, and our world is suffering. However, we can establish a more sustainable food cycle for animals, the environment, and ourselves.

Leaving animals off our plates is the most effective strategy to lessen our environmental impact. It helps prevent climate change, and undoubtedly, it is the biggest threat modern humans have ever faced. 

Shifting from meat and other animal products to plant-based diets offers a lot of potential for lowering carbon emissions, minimizing climate change, and enhancing human health. In addition, the vegan diet can help in many ways to combat all these issues, such as: 

• It’s the diet with the least amount of carbon emissions.
• It aids in the preservation of biodiversity.
• It helps to prevent deforestation. Trees serve as a significant carbon sink for the Earth.
• It restores ecological services that eventually help in the fight against climate change by replenishing our oceans.

5 Environmental Benefits of a Vegan Diet 

Veganism is not only about changing dietary habits. It applies to all aspects of the daily lifestyle avoiding clothes to cosmetics that contain animal-based products. Switching your diet to vegan is an effective way to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, and even protect habitats and species.

Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions: In the meat business, animal waste isn’t the only source of hazardous pollutants. Our food system relies on fossil fuel energy to raise, prepare, and transport food. Burning fossil fuel is the world’s greatest single source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Plant-based protein sources, such as beans and nuts, require far less processing and, as a result, are far more energy-efficient than meat. Switching to a plant-based diet saves energy and minimizes fossil fuel emissions.

Conserves Water: Agriculture uses more water than any other major worldwide industry, accounting for 70% of all water consumption. According to estimates, much of the water utilized in agriculture is used to grow cattle feed for the meat industry.

By avoiding meat and switching to plant-based diets, we can conserve a large quantity of water. Switching to a vegan diet can help you save up to 55% on your water bill. Veganism could be critical to preserving our global freshwater supply for future generations.

Protects Rainforest and Lands: It takes a lot of landmasses to supply global meat demand—so much so that nearly one-third of the Earth’s land is dedicated to animal agriculture. The meat industry clears millions of acres of forested land to make way for grazing cattle and growing crops for animal feed.

Deforestation is a process that releases stored carbon from trees into the atmosphere, which is one of the contributing factors to increasing the climate crisis.

Prevents Habitats and Extinction: When the meat industry clears forests for cattle and farmland, it causes deforestation and eliminates habitat for thousands of species that rely on forests for survival. As species lose their habitats and the resources they require to survive deforestation, and their populations gradually decline, sometimes to extinction.

Deforestation is responsible for losing an estimated 135 different species of plants, animals, and insects every day. By removing animals from our plates and lowering meat demand, we remove the meat industry’s motivation to destroy forest habitats for its production, saving farm animals and wild creatures.

Combats world Hunger: 8.9% of the world’s population suffers from malnutrition and food insecurity due to our present food cycle. Furthermore, as soil degradation and climate change threaten global food production, more people may lose access to the nutritious food they require to thrive.

As we’ve previously discussed, adopting vegan helps to mitigate climate change and protect our global food supply by preventing deforestation, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions related to animal production. That acreage might be used to generate nutritious, plant-based protein.

Vegan Foods You Can Add

A plant-based diet addresses all of these issues at once and can resolve them, and moving toward an animal-free diet and lifestyle is not a bad option. This diet reduces the suffering of many animals, minimizes one’s ecological impact, and contributes to a more equitable world.

On the other hand, plant-based eating can provide a healthier and more diversified diet. Here are some things to think about if you’re vegan (or considering becoming a vegan) and want to minimize your environmental impact:

• Vegetables and fruits: Tomatoes, cabbage, beetroot, pumpkin, garlic, olives, broccoli, apples, nectarines, berries, bananas, melons, oranges are examples of vegetables and fruits. Vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber are important sources of nutrients in this type of diet.

• Pulses: Lentils, peas, beans, soya beans, and lupins are all good and proper protein sources.

• Whole grains and cereals: Oats, rye, spelled, wheat, barley, millet, rice, and pseudocereals like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat, as well as pseudocereals like quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat. Complex carbs, fiber, and phytochemicals are all found in these foods.

• Nuts and seeds: Flax seeds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds are examples of nuts and seeds that give healthful fats as well as a variety of other nutrients.

• Plant-based meat alternatives: Tofu, vegan burgers, schnitzels, and sausages are all plant-based meat alternatives. These are available in many variants – for example, based on soya, seitan, or lupins. Numerous plant-based alternatives to milk are available, like yogurt and cheese. Plus, these are often based on soy, nuts, or cereals.

• Vegan Supplements: Proper supplementation is an important part of a healthy nutrition vegan diet. You can add some delicious vegan supplements to complement your nutritious diet because it will help complete the deficiency of nutrients. 

You don’t have to go to a completely plant-based lifestyle overnight. Get started. Small adjustments in eating habits should be as simple as possible. Try to be a part of a plant-based movement to reap the many benefits of a healthy, environmentally sustainable, and compassionate diet.