Can vegetarians save the world?
Published on: Saturday, 16th May 2009 05:26 AM
By 
Administrator
“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet”, rightly said by Albert Einstein.
People in the 19th century consumed more and more meat and believed that eating beef will make them healthy. But the fact is that being vegetation will not only save your heath but will also protect the environment. People who are vegetarian help in reducing CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions. The western countries are taking certain steps to cut their meat consumption by 2.7 times as consumed earlier. However, the reduction made is still not enough to save the world. The IPCC and other bodies have set a target of up to 80 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Why be a vegetarian?
One of the best ways to save the environment is to say no to meat. Let’s discuss few points how vegetarian help the planet.
• Water use: The most challenging factor the environment is facing today is the scarcity of fresh water. In many areas water resources is depleting. The water usage by vegetarian diet people is 300 gallons/day as compared to 4,000 gallons /day by non- vegetarian people.
• Improve your health: Vegan people live more than non-vegan. They are less likely to get cancer, diabetes or any other heath problems. They consume far less pesticides in their food and are less overweight as compared to non- vegan people.
• Conservation of fossil fuel: By eating plant food it will help to conserve non- renewable sources of energy.
For example:
78 calories of fossil fuel =1 calorie of beef protein OR 35 calories for 1 calorie of pork OR 22 calories for 1 of poultry
But 1 calorie of fossil fuel = 1 calorie of soybeans
• Saving forests: Many forests in Brazil and other tropical region are destroyed to raise more livestock for animals. If we all do not support the meat industry, we will directly save the forests.
• Raising livestock: Food generates more greenhouse gas than the cars and trucks produce.
If everyone will be vegetarian just for 1 day in US it would save:
• 100 billions gallon of water which is enough to supply water to all the homes in New England for approximately 4 months.
• 1.5 billion Pounds of crops which are enough to provide meal to New Mexico for more than 1 year.
• 70 million gallons of gas which can fuel all the cars in Canada and Mexico.
• 3 million acres of land which is twice than the size of Delaware.
• 33 tons of antibiotics.
If everyone will be vegetarian just for 1 day in US it would prevent:
• 4.5 tons of animal excrement.
• Approximately 7 tons of ammonia emission.
• Green house gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 millions tons of CO2, as much as produced by whole France.
• 3 million tons of soil erosion.