It's 2016, I'm originally from Southern California, and I'm a ballet dancer. Why do these three facts matter? Because it means I am WELL-acquainted with the fad, nay lifestyle, nay religion that is veganism. I'm all for healthy eating and healthy living, but there's something about being vegan - perhaps the zealousness of it - that has always turned me off of it. That combined with the fact that I LOVE cheese and am reluctant to give up chicken and fish entirely.
But I just finished watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix called Cowspiracy that really got me thinking. The main idea conveyed in this documentary is this: the most effective way we as humans can reduce our fossil fuel emissions is not by recycling, changing our light bulbs, or even driving less; it's eating a plant-based vegan diet. And while that may sound extreme, the facts seem to add up. Livestock and their byproducts (think dairy) account for 51% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.* 51%!! Animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions - more than the combined exhaust from all forms of transportation!* Agriculture is responsible for 80-90% of US water consumption.* And yet, whenever I read articles about global climate change, the discussion rarely focuses on agriculture at all. I'm currently taking a seminar on climate change at the business school and 5 weeks into the course, we're still talking about pollution in terms of burning coal and gas. Agriculture may have gotten one mention ("cow farts" *cue laughter*) and that was it. Why aren't we talking about this more?
Don't get me wrong - I definitely think we need to reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions and continue researching and investing in reusable energy resources. But realistically, these kinds of clean energy solutions, or even carbon emission regulations, are years from taking shape. Many solutions require millions of dollars of investment - money that's hard to come by. What if we were all to take a harder look at our own food consumption? Could we make an immediate, and drastic, change to the current environmental status simply by eating less meat and dairy products?
I know, I know. It sounds crazy. I mean, who is willing to give up meat and cheese? Isn't that what Americans subsist on? (Rhetorical question, answer is yes). Maybe the reason we haven't talked more about the impact of animal agriculture on the climate is simply because we're not willing to face the drastic lifestyle change we'd have to make. The agriculture industry has enjoyed vast subsidies and protection by the US government for decades - heck, it's how we get crappy food for so cheap!
I want to try it though. I just can't get over the facts. It takes exponentially more resources to sustain a human on a diet of meat and dairy products than it does to sustain that same human on plant-based products! Let's give this a whirl!
Here's the plan: try one full week - just 7 days - of veganism. For me, it's not an entire overhaul of my life. I've done 0 sugar before (now THAT is truly an impossible task - sugar is in everything!) and I don't eat a lot of meat and dairy as is. But I'm genuinely curious to find out just how much animal and dairy products I do consume without thinking about it, and I want to see if I can actually find enough foods to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle without getting bored of what I'm eating!
Starting tomorrow, 10/2, I'm going to chronicle my vegan week. What I eat, what I have to skip out on, how I'm feeling. Should be interesting, stay tuned.
*http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/
