Food Choices

Like most of the WEDU community, I care deeply about the environment and the future of our planet. I recycle where I can. I invite friends to carpool to a show. I turn the tap off when I shave and wash dishes.  And I channel my grandmother each time I do laundry, hanging the wet clothes on a rack rather than running my dryer.

Despite all my efforts, I often felt overwhelmed by what was happening around me. Stories of pollution, wildfires, flooding, and heatwaves sent me into an anxious state. I felt out of control, helpless to find personal solutions to what I saw as global problems.

On Labor Day 2017, I came across some information that changed my outlook. I learned there was another way I could affect change in the world – a way that was completely in my control and something that I did often.  I learned that what I put on my plate each time I sat down to a meal makes a difference.  And in particular, I learned that my consumption of meat had a bigger impact than I thought.

The way humans produce meat for consumption (Animal Agriculture) affects the environment in a number of ways:

• Land | Approximately 80% of global farmland is devoted to Animal Agriculture
• Water | The majority of available fresh water is used to grow feed crops and support livestock
• Emissions | Nearly 15% of global greenhouse gases come from Animal Agriculture

Here’s one way to look at it. It takes nearly 2,500 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef.  That chili you’re making tonight consumed enough water to shower you for two (2) months.

Cards on the table, I stopped eating all animal products back in 2017.  But that may not be the path for you.  Here are a few, meaty tips to help you lessen your impact on the environment:

• Shift | Move away from beef and lamb towards chicken and pork
• Celebrate | Have a “Meatless Monday” each week
• Reduce | Order a quarter-pounder instead of a half-pounder when that burger calls

Being mindful of your meat consumption will have a big impact on your efforts to be a more sustainable human.

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