Lift the Burden on our Water Supplies by Going Plant-Based

Author: Ashini Modi

844 million people lack access to basic drinking water. This is not because we don’t have enough water. 70% of our planet is water. This is because we don’t have enough water that is safe to drink. Two of the contributing factors for this is the draining of water that goes into animal agriculture and the pollution of our water sources that is the result of overcrowded factory farms. With our increasing world population, higher living standards, and changing patterns of consumption, our demand for water is higher than ever and first world countries are consuming this freshwater at unprecedented rates.

It is our responsibility to tackle this problem of the global water crisis and one of the ways that we can do that is by going plant-based. There are numerous reasons that plant-based foods consume less water than animal-based foods. Nearly 50% of freshwater being consumed in the United States goes towards raising livestock. This is not just drinking water, in fact, that is only a very small amount. Most of this water is used for animal feed--crops produced entirely for the use of consumption by livestock. Just one pound of beef consumes 1,847 gallons of water. This is compared to the 15 gallons of water that it takes to produce one pound of lettuce.

According to National Geographic "On average, a vegan, a person who doesn't eat meat or dairy, indirectly consumes nearly 600 gallons of water per day less than a person who eats the average American diet." This means that as if we went plant-based as a human race, we could save 2 quadrillions (that's 2 with 15 zeros) gallons of water annually.

But, we don’t even have to go completely plant-based. According to a study published by IOP science, just reducing the meat in our diets would feed an additional 1.8 billion people globally. A global shift in diets from animal-based to more plant-based foods could free up a lot of our water sources. But this change is imminent. According to the Stockholm International Water Institute, 95% of our calories must be obtained from plant-based sources by 2050 in order to avoid internationally catastrophic water shortage.

Not only does animal agriculture deplete our water sources, but it also pollutes them. Fertilizers fuel, and pesticides, used in farms flow into our groundwater and eventually into our water sources. This excess nitrogen in our runoff stimulates the growth of algae which depletes Oxygen from the water. Excrements from industrially farmed animals also spill over into rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams contaminating our groundwater. Grazing cattle also contributes to erosion, which obstructs streams and other water sources leading to drought in extreme cases.

We are already in the midst of a worldwide water crisis and there is no need to wait for it to get worse to make a change. So what can you do to stop this international water shortage? Try to go plant-based every Monday and more days a week than that if you can. Our water sources are being depleted and polluted at rates faster than our planet can handle. If you have the resources and ability, please consume more plant-based foods for the future of our planet’s water sources.

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

Jalava, M, et al. “Diet Change—a Solution to Reduce Water Use?” Environmental Research Letters, vol. 9, no. 7, 2014, p. 074016., DOI:10.1088/1748-9326/9/7/074016.

McDermott, Mat. “From Lettuce to Beef, What's the Water Footprint of Your Food?” Treehugger, www.treehugger.com/from-lettuce-to-beef-whats-the-water-footprint-of-your-food-4858599

“Plant-Based Diets and Environmental Sustainability.” Forks Over Knives, 4 May 2020, www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/vegan-diet-helps-environmental-sustainability/#:~:text=Conserving Land, goes along with animal agriculture.

PLANT-BASED RECIPE OF THE WEEK: (@simplevegansisters or www.simplevegansisters.weebly.com)

The best vegan blueberry pie you will ever have 🥧

Pie Crust:

2 1/3 cups flour * (gluten-free, if needed) (300 g)

2 tbsp brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

7/8 cup cold coconut oil (200g)

3 tbsp cold water

Blueberry Filling:

5 cups blueberries (800 g) fresh or frozen

1/2 cup sugar (100 g)

1/4 cup tapioca starch (30 g)

1/2 tsp lemon zest finely grated

2 tbsp lemon juice

For brushing:

a little plant-based milk/cream

1-2 tbsp brown sugar

Pie Crust:

1. Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the coconut oil and work it into the flour with your hands. Gradually, add the cold water and knead just until a dough forms.

2. Then divide the dough into two parts and shape each half into a disc. Then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

Blueberry Filling:

3. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).

4. Put the blueberries into a bowl and mix with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside.

5. Roll out one half of the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Lay into a greased 8-inch (20/22 cm) pie dish and gently press the dough against the bottom and sides.

6. Roll out the other half of the dough, cut into strips, and place on top of the filling to create a grid pattern. Then cut off the overhanging dough and gently press the edges slightly to seal the sides.

7. Brush the top of the pie with a little plant-based milk/cream and sprinkle with a little brown sugar.

8. Bake the pie for about 50-60 minutes until golden brown.