Benefits of Veganism for the planet- Part II

Image Courtesy: 10 Awesome Environmental Benefits of Veganism • Vegan for the Planet (veggievagabonds.com)

veganism and climate change

Introduction

In this segment, we are going to have a look at other strategic benefits the planet can enjoy if the world goes vegan. Let me help you get started with the same:

Reduces the world’s dependence on usage of fossil fuels 

Apart from the fact as has been stated time and again on dairy cattle or milch animals contributing to Methane or GHG emissions, animal agriculture otherwise also leads to over-consumption of fossil fuels. Animal farmers breed more and more animals into the world. This provides more and more of a dent for the planet to feed all of them. Energy consumption in terms of providing these animals with their feed causes extensive agriculture and vast amounts of land needed to cultivate crops like grains, soya, millet, etc. 

To cultivate larger areas of land, farmers run tractors that are made to move using diesel. Again, you add to the carbon footprint in terms of GHG emissions. These animal farmers again consume fossil fuels for electricity and varied varieties of farm-based activities. Therefore, the statistics purely confirm that non-veg eaters consume 8 times more fossil fuels than their plant-based counterparts.

Do you want to protect your rainforests from further deterioration?

The entire world knows that the Amazon Rainforests, the home to millions of endangered species and native tribes, were recently burnt to clear up the lands for cattle grazing. The requirements to provide for beef and dairy products were the significant contributors that allowed political lobbying into the same to get permissions sanctioned from forest authorities to set lands on fire deliberately. In fact, this happened as recently as 2020. What more proof do you want?


Again, other rainforests are also getting wiped out at an alarming pace indeed. In fact, 800,000 acres of land are getting cleared up every single day for timber logging, illegal mining, and letting farm animals graze freely. Lands are also getting freed up to promote soy cultivation. Do not get fooled over by Carnivore humans who tell you that it is vegans who consume all of this in the form of tofu slices or cubes. Soya is the primary feed material for chickens, pigs, cows, and farmed fish. If we continue destroying rainforests at this rate, we can experience more temperature fluctuations and changing water cycles. In fact, global warming is already altering wildlife and biodiversity on a massive scale. 

Plant-based living can support enriched waterways in ways more than 1

For cleaner and clearer waterways, the entire planet must go plant based. If you have a look at it, rivers or streams, not only provide abundance of food for fish or aquatic animals, but the sources also provide food and water, to other wild animals including humans too. It is really deplorable to discover that almost 46% of the water resources, are polluted due to dump of chemicals or antibiotics from animal factories. As a result of this, the water resources become unviable for fish and other aquatic species to thrive on. The animal excrements or the chemicals in terms of insecticides used for growing cornfields, are also dumped into rivers, streams or nearby wells. With so much accumulation of excessively alarming chemicals into water zones, the entire water becomes unusable for living beings thriving in and around the region. In other words, one cannot use this water for cleaning, washing, drinking or cooking. Think of the ‘Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico’ due to the excessive dumping of fertilizers. 

Helps preserve wildlife losses and also retains natural spaces

Going vegan can definitely reverse wildlife losses and help you retain natural space to a considerable extent indeed. If you have had a look at it, almost 80% of wildlife land now stands cleared due to overhunting or clearing of lands to grow soy or other crop feeds to promote livestock. This way, larger areas of land, are cleared up, to grow food crops like soy or maize to feed the livestock. In fact, it is the meat industry that is the biggest contributor to wildlife loss including those of native animals and humans. If we consume meat at this rate, it is estimated that third-world countries in Asia and Africa would need 30-50% of the land increase to support the meat and dairy industry. Your dreams of going on a hiking trip or natural habitat excursion spots may soon become far away from reality. Think about it. 

Veganism can prevent animal extinction to a greater extent

If more and more people endorse a 100% plant-based diet, we can prevent further degradation of natural habitats or wildlife spaces as a matter of fact. The meat industries are destroying wildlife spaces driving all our favorite animals like lions, tigers, giraffes, or gorillas to the brink of extinction. The open-ended forests are constantly cleared to promote livestock production of food crops. Apparently, you would need extensive acres of land to promote huge quantities of food growing in terms of soy, maize, grains, or barley. The net result will be that future generations will have fewer encounters with the wild or exotic animals, we were fascinated with, during our childhood days. At the UK, bird species are also constantly plummeting We can hardly find sparrows or badgers within forest areas or even across the outskirts of urban domains. To promote land clearance for growing animal feed, farmers get the animals that stand mid-way either hunted or getting culled. When veganism spreads, then you would not require acres or acres of land for livestock growing. Animals or endangered species can then get their homes back. 

Complete avoidance of animal products can combat world-hunger

It has been estimated that livestock takes up 35% of food grown across the planet. While these animals hardly contribute 12% of calories that actually feeds the human population in terms of providing us with meat, milk, eggs, or honey. If we can somehow put an end to animal agriculture, then we can tackle world hunger. We can feed more and more human beings and animals who are undernourished or suffer from malnutrition. We can get access to cleaner drinking water and food if all of us pledge to go vegan. 

Veganism can prevent soil-erosion

Soil erosion happens due to excessive farming and deforestation, as a matter of fact. Plants require lesser land and water, and the growth of good varieties of food and organic crops can lead to enriched soil across parts of the globe. We have seen how much land is required to grow or feed livestock vis-a-vis the calories meat or animal products actually provide us with. There is so much of a lop-sided tangent between both of the factors above mentioned. Alongside, animal poop, urine, and excessive grazing can also speed up soil erosion to a mighty extent indeed. This way, we can lose out on native flora and fauna along with wildlife losses too. This way, the places we cherish to explore will finally cease to exist for human exploration, as a matter of fact. 

Conclusion

We have seen the primary benefits of switching over to veganism. Pointers or highlighting ideas with respect to animal farming have also been discussed at length so that you will understand of gravity of the situation as a matter of fact. Hence, you live on the planet sharing your space with other earthlings you share the planet with. Or you destroy the planet once and for all. 

Info Source: 10 Awesome Environmental Benefits of Veganism • Vegan for the Planet (veggievagabonds.com)

About Vvegano:

We are an online vegan store based out of India. We have personalized lifestyle products catering to people belonging to the present millennium.  You get nut butters, mock meats, plant-based sweets, dairy-free alternatives, groceries and wellness care products from our store. Do check out some of our outstanding collections right here:

  1. Plant-based milk- https://vvegano.com/collections/plant-based-milk
  2. Nut butters- https://vvegano.com/collections/nut-butters
  3. Chocolates- https://vvegano.com/collections/chocolates
  4. Plant-based butters- https://vvegano.com/collections/dairy-butter-alternatives
  5. Dairy-free Curds- https://vvegano.com/collections/vegan-curd-yoghurt
  6. Vegan Paneer- https://vvegano.com/collections/tofu-paneer
  7. Cheese- https://vvegano.com/collections/vegan-cheese
  8. Mock meat collections- https://vvegano.com/collections/plantbased-vegan-meats
  9. Sweets- https://vvegano.com/collections/sweets
  10. Flours- https://vvegano.com/collections/flours

For more, log in to https://www.vvegano.com