Vegetables lower greenhouse gases, fight global warming
Submitted by Vegetarian’s Blog
Written by Michael Vass
There are many reasons why people may be vegetarians these days. It could be the manner in which livestock is treated to create the meats found in stores, it could be the health benefit of eating less red meat, or it could be to help improve the world. That last reason is one that is gaining more attention these days as the ‘global warming’ theory gains popular attention.
Global warming is the theory that claims greenhouse gas emissions from cars; planes, factories, as well as cattle and human beings are raising the temperature of the world. The rise in temperature is either cooling or heating various parts of the world in an abnormal manner, altering weather patterns and potentially leading to the destruction of society as we know it.
You may notice that I do not believe in this theory. When science can’t tell me the temperature of the Earth in 1700 I doubt their conclusions about what the temperature will be in 2015 (based on the fact that temperatures have only been recorded for slightly over 100 years). But even with my dispute of ‘global warming’ there is no question of the benefit of a vegetarian lifestyle.
As researchers have sought to determine the greenhouse gas emissions required to transport foods to the average American, data has shown that
In fact it takes 5x as much energy, and thus a proportionate increase in emissions, to produce and transport beef than rice.
No one can dispute that a cleaner planet is a positive for everyone. And lowering emissions is definitely a positive in creating that cleaner planet. So considering that vegetables produce fewer emissions, a diet based on vegetables is far more earth-conscious.
So whether you agree or not with ‘global warming’ there is no question that eating more vegetables is a benefit not only to your health, but that of the world.
