Earth Day Message from SEE
Posted on April 2, 2023
Americans should not be FIRST at this!
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.
Eating meat at current levels is not sustainable for our planet.
SEE’s vision relates to this. It’s obvious that feeding cows requires enormous resources of water and
food… rather than feed cattle—let’s eat those plants ourselves. Non-meat eater data show longer
lifespans, but more significantly a better life, free of illness and impairments that keep them from
sometimes even walking. Stories abound on what seem like miraculous recoveries –blindness to eye
sight after eliminating meat… (Food is Climate newsletter: www.sustainableeartheating.org
Many will resist this healthy trend…but new products and eateries have made this easy. Taste tests
show people cannot tell the difference between plant -based burgers and meat burgers. Plants are
highly tasty as non-meat dishes, burgers, chicken nuggets, cheese, ice cream, tacos. …so, if we can’t do it
for our own health—let’s look at the environmental impact from the meat industry—which produces
57% of all greenhouse gas emissions, wrecking our planet. The rain forest in Brazil– now at a tipping
point—has been decimated by cattle grazing; much of that meat goes to the U.S.
Let’s not be first as a nation in meat consumption—let’s try instead to halt the climate change that meat
so highly costs!
Jane DeMarines