Earth Day Message from SEE
Posted on April 3, 2023
Americans eat the most meat of any country in the world with 274 lbs. on average per person—producing 1,984 lbs of CO2 annually. This is an increase of 40% since 1960s. America’s being first is often a good thing— Olympic athletes, and Nobel laureates—certainly– help to nations facing disasters, poverty or poor economies, the United States has been a leader, a nation with a conscience. But being first in meat eating is not good for anyone, but perhaps producers of meat
Americans’ ability to be the world’s big meat eaters comes with a cost. Doctors trained in nutrition tell us that meat, particularly red meat is a cause of diabetes, heart ailments, the saturated fat from meat clogs the arteries—contributing to high blood pressure and to some cancers. But besides this, the livestock industry uses 80% of the world’s agricultural land —yet only produces 20% of food needed globally. Continue reading here…
Senate blocks Biden water protection measures
According to Associated Press, Congress on 3/29/23 approved a resolution to overturn the Biden administration’s protections for the nation’s waterways that Republicans have criticized as a burden on business, advancing a measure that President Joe Biden has promised to veto. Continue reading here…
Want to Help Fight Climate Change? Eat Lentils.
According to the Washington Post, a pound of raw lentils packs more protein than a pound of steak, says Michael J. Coren, Climate Advice Columnist, in “Why Americans Should Eat Lentils Every Day,” suggesting that lentils may be the perfect legume in the fight against climate change. Yet Americans eat fewer lentils than almost everyone else, he says. Unlike meat, lentils have none of the saturated fats and additives that raise the risks of cancer and heart disease. They contain iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium and vitamin B, as well as most of the essential amino acids. Fast to cook, easy to store, these seeds have sustained empires — and they’re delicious, Coren says. Roman soldiers lived on the essential portable protein over their long campaigns.
A plant-based World will Need to Adjust Food Security, Economics approaches, and more
While shifting to a vegan world is preferable for many reasons, it’s important for advocates to consider certain issues that may arise in the process, Narges Kalantari, a Ph.D. student at the University of Montreal, says in “How Might Global Veganism Impact Society?” This review of a 2022 study raised concerns but affirmed the superiority of plant- over animal-based farming in many respects including climate change.
“Future agricultural policies need to consider food security, environmental impacts, and farmers’ incomes, among other challenges,” Kalantari says. The study’s authors pointed out that in many developing countries, animal farming based on grazing is the main source of food security and income. They also suggested that eliminating meat worldwide would reduce greenhouse gasses by 49%. Kalantari says a fully plant-based food system must ensure that all communities have equitable access to necessary nutritional supplements. (Source: Washington Post)
Plant-Based Food Market Growth Fueled by Awareness of Animal Cruelty, Need for Lactose-Free Alternatives
The Vegan Society says the demand for vegan food has grown over 980% in the last decade, as cited in a report by Straits Research in the Washington Post, which attributes much of the growth to the anti-cruelty efforts of organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals as well as the 60% of the global population who are lactose intolerant opting for vegan substitutes for dairy products.
The demand in coming years will be most significant in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Israel, Ireland, Canada, Austria, and Germany, the report said, adding that animal food products consumption has dropped markedly in Sweden and the United States in the past few years.