One Bite at a Time

Environmental issues are getting unprecedented media attention and global warming is an especially critical topic. Many scientists researching global warming say that it's worse than they previously thought. Polar ice caps and glaciers are melting rapidly. Biologists are tracking widespread changes in species diversity and populations. And some predict vast ecological, economic, and human disasters if we don't turn the situation around.

Most recommendations for environmental action stop short of the one thing you can do that is even more effective than not driving a car. Yes, eating a plant-based diet is not only good for you, it's good for the environment too.

How a Plant-based Diet Reduces Your Ecological Footprint

• Water and Resource Consumption

1 pound of beef requires 2500-5000 gallons of water to produce. That's enough to shower every day for a year! 95% of the grain in the US is grown for animal feed, and that's just the tip of the (melting) iceberg of the resources that a meat-centered diet consumes.

• Factory Farming

Most meat and dairy in the United States is "farmed" in horrible conditions that compromises the health of the animal, the consumer, and the surrounding environment. These farms concentrate huge amounts of toxic effluent that runs off to poison our waters.

• Deforestation

According to the United Nations, 37.5 million acres of rainforests are cut down annually. Much of that land is converted to cattle ranches. Once cut down, rainforests are extremely difficult to regenerate.