By: DairyFreeGina
How can eating a dairy free and meat free diet benefit the Earth?
Study after study shows raising animals for milk production and slaughter takes a drastic toll on the environment. Dairy and meat eaters account for almost double the climate killing carbon dioxide emissions than vegans and vegetarians. If the entire world participated in just one meatless meal a week, it would be equivalent to taking 240 million cars off the road every year!
And going dairy and meat free saves water too! It takes 100-200 times more water to produce 1 pound of beef than to grow 1 pound of plant food. Seventy percent of grains grown in the U.S. feed livestock. Imagine if these grains were used to feed the world’s starving population!
Bravo if you have eliminated meat from your diet and/or you are working towards eating less dairy and meat. And here are other practical things you can do to celebrate the Earth today on Earth day, or any other day of the year:
1. Toss Plastic, Use Glass – Glass containers are excellent for storing leftovers and food products and glass is better for you and the environment. And while you’re transitioning to glass, get a glass or stainless steel water bottle and ditch the plastic.
2. Turn Off Lights, Unplug Electronics – Unplug anything not in use to save money and energy. Opt for appliances with the Energy Star rating when buying a new refrigerator or other appliance. In 2013, Americans using Energy Star appliances , lights and windows saved $30 billion dollars and 277 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Grow Your Own Food – Not only will you know where your food comes from and how it is grown, but you’ll save money and reduce the amount of emissions in the environment from trucks transporting produce to stores. And with vertical gardening and hydroponics it doesn’t take much space to have a garden. Make 2017 the year you start a garden!
4. BYO Bag – Cloth shopping bags are reusable, can be washed between shopping trips and reduce the need for plastic bags. More than 100,000 marine animals die every year from getting caught in plastic bags or ingesting them.
5. Use Less Paper- No one loves paper more than I do, but the more we recycle paper the better . Cancel newspaper, magazine and catalog subscriptions you don’t really read. Use a dishcloth or cloth rag to clean up spills instead of paper towels. Did you know you can even make your own house cleaning wipes? Check out this tutorial from Dr. Bronner’s
What are you doing to green up your life? Share in the Comments section.
DairyFreeGina is allergic to milk and lamb, and eats vegan and gluten free. Gina is a life long fitness enthusiast, runner and dancer who is passionate about talking food, nutrition, health and exercise. Gina loves cats big and small, calls Disney World her 2nd home– and often blogs on these topics too!
