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Now that we are all trapped in our homes and eating everything we can see, eating habits and diets seem to be on everyone’s back burner. There are more critical things to think about at the moment, but we still need to take care of ourselves, our immune systems, and our mental health.
As a vegetarian for my entire life, going vegan was something I have always wanted to try. For those of you who don’t know, vegetarianism includes eating everything except meat and fish. However, veganism means not eating any animal products, including honey, dairy, eggs, meat, and fish.
Even as a vegetarian, going vegan is a big step, and it includes a large amount of preparation. After two failed attempts, I think it’s safe to say that I will not be going fully vegan in the near future. However, my attempts have made me realize that eating more plant-based food is extremely rewarding for your body and your health. Not everyone can give up things that they have been eating their whole life, myself included. Still, we can all try to limit the amount we consume of these non-environment friendly products.
Going vegan or more plant-based is something that can aid us in the fight against climate change. Professor Pete Smith, an environmental scientist from Aberdeen University in the United Kingdom, stated, “We’re not telling people to stop eating meat. In some places, people have no other choice. But it’s obvious that we’re eating far too much.”
You might wonder, how is my diet related to the environment? Well, food production contributes to global warming because agriculture and forestry account for around a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock rearing contributes to global warming through the methane gas the animals produce, but also via deforestation to expand pastures. Therefore, eating meat and fish has a direct impact on the health of our environment. Furthermore, climate change threatens us more and more every day, and it poses a threat to the security of our food supply. The threat to our food supply is an increased amount of extreme weather events will have a tremendous impact on crops and livestock.
One person’s efforts to limit the amount of non-plant-based products they eat will not stop climate change, but it can help. Our environment has never been better while we self-isolate in our houses, and that is a sad reality. Even though climate change seems like a distant threat, the reality is that it will likely affect our generation and the ones following us. Therefore, we should try and find a solution because, right now, we still have the time and ability to fix this potentially life-threatening issue.
(Source: BBC)
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