Research: Vegan Diet Crucial to Reduce Climate Change
As I’ve said before, personal and planetary wellness are one and the same. New research by Oxford scientists published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) indicates:
Transitioning toward more plant-based diets that are in line with standard dietary guidelines could reduce global mortality by 6–10% and food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 29–70% compared with a reference scenario in 2050.
The study has some caveats, including details of how we might measure the environmental and economic benefits, but hey, a 29-70% reduction in food-based emissions is not to be trifled with. We cannot afford to ignore the science any longer. The study goes on to say:
When it comes to climate change, following dietary recommendations would cut food-related emissions by 29 percent, adopting vegetarian diets would cut them by 63 percent and vegan diets by 70 percent.
There are burgeoning ill effects of animal agriculture, not the least of which are methane pollution and the epidemic proportions of obesity and heart disease.
On the plus side, more and more Americans are choosing to be vegetarian and vegan. Driven by consumer trends that favor vegan eating, investment in the plant-based food industry is increasing. Plant-based food companies have recently set up their own trade association, venture capital fund, and a new nonprofit focused on sustainable foods.
According to One Green Planet news, New Crop Capital, the new venture capital fund, has “announced a slew of investments in vegan, plant-based and culture-based food companies like Memphis Meats, Lighter, The Purple Carrot, Lyrical Foods, Gelzen, Beyond Meat, Sunfed Foods, and Miyoko’s Kitchen. New Crop is in good company, because the opportunity evident in this emerging food space has also caught the attention of many of today’s most forward-thinking investors. Firms like Google Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Bill Gates’ Gates Ventures,SOSventures, and Horizons Investors are investing millions in companies that are creating innovative products that make animal agriculture obsolete.”
It’s time to join the most effective movement for planetary and personal wellness: changing your diet! Vegan recipes are blossoming all over the media, including on One Green Planet, VeganEasy, and our own humble book, Food of Love, which contains simple, hearty recipes that are earth-friendly and delicious, like this one:
Research shows that vegan diets can lower food-based greenhouse gas emissions by 70%. This is one of the simple vegan recipes from our book, Food of Love: roasted delicata squash with kale-mushroom saute.