Meat Free Monday: Fighting Climate Change With a Plant Based Diet

Ashini Modi
Sep 7, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Sep 13, 2020

Author: Ashini Modi

Editor: Justine Negron

We all know that climate change poses a threat to our food supply. With rising temperatures and an increase in flooding, the security of our crops and livestock is being threatened. But something that we don’t always think about is how our food choices are actually contributing to climate change. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), animal agriculture is responsible for 35-40% of all Greenhouse gas emissions. When we think of ways to slow down climate change, we often think of driving more fuel-efficient cars, switching to “green power,” or decreasing factory carbon emissions, but these measures are simply not enough. What we can do, along with what is listed above, is change our diets. As a society, we need to decrease our meat consumption and eat more sustainably for the future of our planet.

You may be wondering “How does animal agriculture actually contribute to climate change?” The meat industry is extremely energy-intensive. Just think about it. You have to feed massive amounts of grain and water to farm animals, you have to kill them, then process the meat, transport the meat, and then store that meat. Plus, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that farm animals in confined conditions generate more than 450 million tons of manure annually. This is three times more waste than is generated by Americans. Methane (CH4), a greenhouse gas which has more than 20% the global warming potential of carbon dioxide (CO2), is produced from the decomposition of livestock manure under anaerobic conditions.

The meat industry is also one of the top causes of deforestation. These forests—which absorb greenhouse gases—are being cut down at alarming rates in order to supply land for pastures and to grow crops for these animals. As of 2020, about 30% of cropland is used to grow grain for animal feed. As Earth gets hotter, the security of our food is being threatened, which forces farmers to raise more cattle. But to do so, they must clear more land and cut down more trees. It is a vicious cycle.

So what can we do? The United Nations (UN) says that we need to have a global shift towards a more plant based diet. A study conducted at Oxford university found that dietary greenhouse-gas emissions amongst the population of meat-eaters were about 52%, higher than those of vegetarians and about 100% higher than those of vegans. That doesn’t mean you have to cut out meat from your diet completely. All we are asking is to eat less red meat and more vegetables. According to Project Drawdown, transitioning to a more plant-based diet is solution number 4 out of 100 to reduce total atmospheric greenhouse gases. Reducing food waste is number 3 (but that's a different discussion). According to the environmental defence fund, just substituting one meal of meat every monday for a plate of vegetables and grains is the same as taking half a million cars off of the road.

Eating more plant-based foods is the most immediate action that you can take to reduce your carbon footprint so we ask that you simply try.

Other resources:

Grass-fed milk: https://maplehill.com

Organic/grass-fed yogurt: https://www.stonyfield.com/

Local farm suppliers: Mahaffey Farms, Cotton Street Farms, Sample Farm, Shady Grove, Shreveport Farmers Market

Documentary: https://fusion.tv/show/food-exposed-with-nelufar-hedayat/

Find your carbon footprint: https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

Works Cited

“Fight Climate Change by Going Vegan.” PETA, 19 July 2018, www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/global-warming/#:~:text=Many other scientists around the gases than meat-eaters do.

“Going Vegan for the Planet? Try One Step at a Time.” Earth Day, 15 Jan. 2020, www.earthday.org/going-vegan-one-step-at-a-time/.

Grimwood, About Mariah. “Veganism: Really the Answer to Global Warming?: 2020's Guide.” Renewable Resources Coalition, 21 Oct. 2019, www.renewableresourcescoalition.org/veganism-global-warming/.

Harrabin, Roger. “Plant-Based Diet Can Fight Climate Change - UN.” BBC News, BBC, 8 Aug. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49238749.

Hersher, Rebecca, and Allison Aubrey. “To Slow Global Warming, U.N. Warns Agriculture Must Change.” NPR, NPR, 8 Aug. 2019, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/08/08/748416223/to-slow-global-warming-u-n-warns-agriculture-must-change.

“Home.” USDA, www.usda.gov/.

“Home.” Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, www.fao.org/home/en/.

“The Humane Society of The United States.” The Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety.org/.

Project Drawdown, 26 May 2020, drawdown.org/.

Plant-Based Recipe of the Week: Vegan Omelet!

Ingredients

▪️6 ounces organic firm silken tofu (1/2 package)

▪️1 tablespoon soymilk

▪️1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

▪️1 tablespoon of tapioca starch

▪️1 teaspoon tahini (optional)

▪️1/8 teaspoon onion powder

▪️1/8 teaspoon turmeric

▪️1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

▪️1 pinch black salt (optional; adds an eggy taste; look for it in Indian grocery stores)

▪️add as much water as needed to get the desired consistency

Instructions

▪️Blend together all ingredients until smooth. (I use a Magic Bullet blender, but you may use any small blender or hand blender. To use a larger blender, you may have to make a double batch.)

▪️Spray or wipe a large non-stick skillet lightly with oil and heat on medium-high until very hot. Pour the batter into the center of the skillet in a circular pattern about 6-8 inches across, and use a spoon or spatula to smooth over the top. Place your filling ingredients over the batter, and reduce the heat to medium-low.

▪️Cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes, checking often to see if it’s done. When the edges have dried out and the middle is no longer liquidy, lift a small section with a spatula and check to see that the omelet is set. It will be golden in color and browned in spots. When it’s ready, loosen the omelet by sliding the spatula under it from each direction, and then fold one side over the other.

▪️Cook for about one more minute. Carefully lift or slide it onto a plate and serve hot.

Vegetables that taste REALLY GOOD inside:

Mushrooms, Spinach, Tomatoes, Onions, Avacado

Recipe courtesy of @simplevegansisters