Today is Earth Day and there's never been a more crucial time to take action for the future of our planet.
In the face of the devastating consequences of climate change, from extreme drought to surging floods, going vegan is the single most important thing you can do to reduce your personal environmental impact.
Here are seven reasons why Aussies should go vegan for Earth Day.
- Climate. Animal agriculture is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions. In Australia, animal agriculture emits about 50% of all greenhouse gases when accounted over 20 years.
- Biodiversity. Animal agriculture is the single largest driver of habitat loss and species extinctions. 54% of the Australian continent is used for animal farming.
- Water. It takes over 20 times more water to produce 1kg of beef compared to rice, grains, beans, fruit and vegetables in Australia. Vegans use less than a third of the water of the average Australian.
- Great Barrier Reef. Runoff caused by land clearing for cattle grazing is devastating the Great Barrier Reef. Beef production is responsible for 75% of sediment in the reef's waters.
- Inefficient. More grain is fed to farmed animals than humans in Australia. This is an extremely inefficient use of land and resources. We could produce seven to ten times more protein and calories if we ate the plant food directly than feeding it to animals.
- Health. Using animals for food is the root cause of many infectious diseases (including coronavirus) and consuming animal products is the cause of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke or diabetes.
- Animals. Half a billion animals are bred, raised and killed every year in Australia for food (not counting the trillions of fish). This unimaginable suffering is all unnecessary if Australia became vegan.
This Earth Day, will you commit to fighting for our planet's future by going vegan and helping to educate others?
