It is widely known that eating a plant-based diet is not only beneficial to one’s health­ — provided it is a balanced intake of proteins, carbohydrates, and fruits/vegetables — but it also helps the planet reduce emissions in a major way.

Raising livestock and processing/delivering their products is a huge use of resources that produces a variety of greenhouse gasses (GHGs) including powerful methane and nitrous oxide. Choosing a plant-based diet or simply reducing the number of animal products eaten significantly helps improve one’s impact on our environment. Livestock consume a lot of plants/grains themselves, require two-and-a-half times the amount of land as compared to the farming of plants, use plenty of water, and create more greenhouse gasses than all the cars and trucks in the world. Important ecosystems are often cleared to make space for livestock and feed, creating further imbalances and GHG increases.

Definitions:

Vegetarians don’t eat seafood, meat, or poultry, but can include dairy, eggs, and honey.

Vegans don’t eat any animal products, so the diet is practically the same as vegetarian but without dairy products, eggs, honey, or similar.

Meat eaters don’t have to stop eating animals and fish completely, one can choose to eat less meat and do it in a more humane way (by eating locally and organically while choosing free-range/restorative products) while enjoying the benefits of a more balanced diet that includes plenty of seasonal fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and more.