Over the past 5-6years, the push for sustainable living and the improvement of planetary health has become a hot topic as climate change and global warming continue to be growing problems. Various human activities can be blamed as the cause for all of this. Ranging from pollution of both air and water, to loss of biodiversity, we as inhabitants have done immense damage to our planet. With multiple causes as to why this, our consumption of animal based products, has proved to be one of the main reasons why there has not been much improvement.
The production of animal based products is one of the main reasons why we have difficulties improving planetary health. According to researchers and authors of the article, “Planetary health and reduction in meat consumption,” Dora Marinova and Diana Bogueva found that, at least 80% of agricultural emissions are created by livestock. With a high percentage, there is no denying that it has a significant impact in the global aspect of it all.
In 2017, Australia was ranked as the #1 country in the world for meat consummation with the United States following closely behind. The following year, a survey was conducted in Sydney, Australia, to find out why that might be. The survey consisted of questions regarding frequency of meat consumption, and reasoning behind it. The survey found that only 5.3% of its participants had plant based diets, while the corresponding 94.7% consumed meat either occasionally or on a daily basis. When asked why they choose to eat meat, half of those participants responded that they believed the consumption of meat was “healthy.” This discovery was quite concerning being that high intakes of certain meats can lead to cancers, heart disease, and other health conditions.
What was most alarming out all of their responses though, were their answers concerning the ecological effects that come with eating meat. Almost all of the participants who did eat meat either had no opinion over the effects or had no knowledge of them whatsoever. However, there was a small portion of them who had stated they were familiar with the information. Marinova and Bogueva argued that the lack of awareness is due to how social marketing portrays eating meat, and how there isn’t enough coverage of vegan pro athletes that break the stereotype of animal based diets. Yet, is that enough to justify the knowledge gap of Australia’s citizens?
With the United States being a close second in meat consumption, what is happening in Australia could also be happening here. Is it that we are not informed enough about the effects of meat consumption? Or is it that we are choosing to ignore the problems we’re creating? Do you think that there will ever be a time where we will be eating predominantly plant based diets?
As someone who has decided to become fully plant-based due to animal cruelty and negative effects, I have realized that this diet is unrealistic for many people. I personally chose to become plant-based because I was having issues from eating meat such as nausea, lack of energy, and lightheadedness. Although this diet affected me positively, diets like these can be expensive and unhealthy for some. Even though I have these opinions I agree that people should try to become more educated on the meat industry and its effects. I encourage people to experiment with plant-based diets, but a world only relying on plants seems unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteI agree the majority of meat consumers, including myself, are unaware of its environmental effects. Spreading awareness might get some to reduce their meat consumption or even quit meat, but I assume most will ignore it and keep their eating habits the same. Meat is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get protein. As of dieting, a ketogenic diet (basically low-carb) which mainly consists of eating fats and protein has become quite popular and has also been proven effective. The majority of people are meat eaters, therefore I do not see the world being predominantly plant-based. In terms of global and environmental effects, this is comparable to the issue of solar power and fossil fuels. In both situations, the option that's better for the environment is more expensive and many are unprepared for such changes.
ReplyDelete