The vegan diet is widely regarded to be better for the planet than those that include animal products, but not all plant-based foodstuffs have a small environmental footprint.
There is no doubt that meat such as beef, for instance, makes quite a large contribution to the planet's greenhouse gas emissions. It also devours more land and water and causes more environmental damage than any other single food product. The recent rigorous report by the EAT-Lancet Commission recommends reducing our consumption of animal products to not only benefit human health, but the health of our planet. Even the “greenest” sources of meat still produce more greenhouse gases than plant-based proteins.
It's important to also remember that anyone looking to get involved within a vegan or vegetarian diet for environmental purposes may also want to consider whether there are some plant-based foods that also come with a heavy price.
A 2010 report from the United Nations Environment Programme's International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management stated that a global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to protecting the world from the worst impacts of climate change. A widely publicised report published by the Worldwatch Institute indicates that 51% of worldwide greenhouse-gas emissions can be attributed to animal agriculture, specifically to cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, camels and pigs which are raised and killed for food.
A recent oxford university study revealed that people who eat meat are responsible for almost twice as many dietary greenhouse-gas emissions per day as vegetarians and about 2.5 times as many emissions as vegans.
But how much difference would it actually make if everyone turned to a plant-based diet?
Experts say changing the way we eat is necessary for the future of the planet but that government policy is needed alongside this. If politicians are serious about wanting dietary changes, they also need to incentivise it, scientists and writers add. Additionally to this, not everyone will necessarily agree to switching their diet from a carnivorous one for example to a vegetarian or a vegan as they prefer to stick to their regular dietary patterns. This could mean that it could become tricky to collect a very clear batch of data in regards to what can actually be done in order to live more sustainably as well as what are the actual long term effects of being vegan and vegetarian for an entire lifetime for instance.
There are a lot of things that can be done and studies that can be carried out in order to come to a conclusion that suits everyone but also ensures that we as well as our environment is safe in general whilst consuming a specific diet. This also means that everyone can help halt climate change just by eating great-tasting plant-based foods.
In fact, a study published in New Scientist magazine shows that each person can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that his or her diet contributes to climate change by up to 60% just by going vegan.
Eating vegan also helps stop animal suffering and improves and protects our own health. PETA call on world leaders to make sure that meat and dairy products are included in any plans they make for tackling greenhouse-gas emissions, but we're also calling on individuals to share in the responsibility for a healthier planet by eating vegan or trying to minimise their consumption of foods which can harm our environment and our health as a whole.
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