Are you curious about trying a vegan lifestyle? Have you been wondering how much of an impact it can really have on our beautiful planet? Veganism not only helps you be kinder to animals and yourself, but it also helps significantly reduce your personal toll on the Earth. The meat, fish, eggs and dairy industries put a heavy strain on the environment – from the crops and water required to feed animals, to the transport and industry involved in the manufacture of animal products. Animal agriculture has such a huge impact on our earth – rising populations, with growing meat and dairy demands, mean that this will only get worse. An environment that could have sustained animal agriculture in the past is quickly becoming exhausted, and will soon reach a point beyond recovery.
Livestock production contributes to 15-18 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is even more than the transportation sector. Yet this percentage varies depending on what stages of meat production are included, for example, if you count deforestation for the animal’s food and their transport, the estimate can go up to 50 per cent. Animals also release methane as a by-product of eating, which is over 20 times more damaging to our environment than CO2. These greenhouse gases contribute towards global climate change as they trap heat in the atmosphere, resulting in unusual weather patterns, natural disasters and rising sea levels.