Eating Meat is Killing the Planet – Vegan Society
World Meat Free Week
It’s the even bigger inconvenient truth! Eating meat is killing our planet!
Although Kiwis have reduced their red meat intake over the last 10 years, dropping from 85 to 72kg, p.a, it’s still way above new world health guidelines which suggest just over 5kg, or current government guidelines which suggest 26kg p.a!
With climate emergencies being declared by councils nationwide, there has never been a better time to reduce your meat intake.
World Meat Free Week kicks off in New Zealand this week and the seven day global initiative encourages people to improve the health of our planet, by the simple act of going meat free, is supported here in NZ by the Vegan Society Aotearoa New Zealand. The initiative supports a “less is best” approach to eating meat, encouraging consumption of a greater variety of plant-based foods instead- for the sake of our own health and the well-being of our planet.
When a family of 4 takes part in World Meat Free Week by eating meat-free for ONE meal each day, they will be:
· Saving the equivalent daily water usage of 249 people
· Seeing a carbon saving equivalent to boiling a kettle 10,875 times
· Having a fat saving of 63 teaspoons of butter
Saving the same calories as 54 chocolate cookies
Experts have predicted that by 2050 the world’s population is set to increase to over 9 billion people. That’s 30% higher than today. If we don’t make changes to our diet today, then the increase in meat production is predicted to reach 200 million tonnes, and that’s a demand the world cannot meet.
According to the UN report on OECD countries and meat consumption in 2017, Kiwis ranked amongst the highest of world-wide meat eaters, consuming 72.2 kg of land -mammals. Although heart disease is decreasing in the country, it is still one of the highest preventable causes of death.
New Zealanders can make a pledge during World Meat Free Week by going to World Meat Free Week
A lot of people think that going vegan will limit C02 levels rising in the atmosphere and thus limit global average temperature rising to 1.5 degrees which is admirable. This is what got me into debating ethics and society rather than the mundane math argument because I’m able to debate the pros as well as the cons of veganism so I’m able to switch between the pros and cons. So people see me as a very fluid debater because I’m able to play devils advocate which puts a lot of people off. It’s because I don’t really have a solid opinion on eating meat either way. It’s mainly because debating veganism is a little relaxed, like if I debated my mom I may very well get slapped for not wanting to eat my vegetables. Regardless though I hope you guys eat well. I’m going to be making vegan feasts all week. Y’know ice cream made out off coconut butter is bomb. Eat well.