As the New Year has only just arrived, many people will be trying to fulfil their resolutions. However, a lifestyle change that could prove to be just as good for you physically as attempting to go to the gym every day, and would have an even more positive effect for the earth, would be to join the 4 million existing vegetarians in the UK (or even to attempt to cut down on meat consumption).

Source - Telegraph

This decision will not only help cut shopping costs, increase individual heath and spare the life of other sentient beings, but will also help reduce the environmental impacts that i have hitherto discussed in this blog.

It has been speculated that even by decreasing your meat intake by one burger a week would have the same impact as taking your car off the road for 320 miles! Therefore, a few meatless meals to maybe ease into a more vegetarian way of eating would have an encouraging effect on the environment!

Source - Pexels

It has, however, been argued by some environmental advocates that such small changes to ones diet are failings as it creates a false justification within the public perception - only doing the right thing one seventh of the time? 

“You cannot be an environmentalist and eat animal based products. Its an addiction.” - Howard Lyman, a former cattle rancher and author of ‘Mad Cowboy’.

I have been sincerely attempting to try and cut meat from my diet, but it has undoubtedly been a struggle. Nevertheless, I have been able to reduce my consumption - and I think this will, unmistakably have been a good thing for the environment. 

I respect the views of environmental advocates such as Howard Lyman. However, I think that people shouldn’t be discouraged towards such schemes as meat free Mondays. Every little helps, and these small steps may eventually lead to people fully adopting a vegetarian lifestyle!

I just wanted to share this fantastic infographic which elegantly sums up some of the facts and figure I have referenced throughout some of my past blog entires!

Source - Cowspiricy.com/facts

Political groups and NGOs are, in most cases silent or muted when calling the public to the harmful impacts of modern agriculture on the environment. 

This foul play has recently been put into the spot light by various environmentalists. It came to my attention though, via the hugely insightful documentary ‘Cowspiracy’. This film exposes various well respected ‘environmental’ organisations such as; Greenpeace and The Sierra Club for glossing over the true impacts of the agricultural industry and almost denying the problem altogether. 

Will Anderson, the former director of Greenpeace, has been outspoken regarding this topic. He has accused such environmental organisations for not acknowledging the impacts of agriculture and bringing it squarely into the focus of the public. Additionally, he further alludes to the fact that some parties may be subject to donations from unions that are totally for the continual growth or stasis of the agricultural system.

Recently, however a blog post was penned by a Greenpeace representative which addressed the accusations put forth in the documentary and this can be found here. I think it is interesting to read this retort and to think that Greenpeace felt obliged to try and amend the allegations. 

Kip Anderson - Director Cowspiricy

This leads me neatly on to an exchange between Kip Anderson (the director of Cowspiracy) and the Animal Agricultural Alliance (AAA). When confronted with the question, posed by Anderson, “Do you give donations to environmental groups?” The representative from the AAA is thrown off kilter and responds with trepidation - “I don’t know that I want to comment on that.”. This leads one to believe, that an unsavoury truth may be veiled from public knowledge. 

A fantastic blog I have come across whilst researching this topic is ‘Vicious Vegan’ which endeavours to explore some of the same themes as this blog, as we'll as some more abstract ones, and is well worth a read.

I am not condemning the work that these organisations do, because they have undoubtedly aided global environmental awareness, and their work is admirable. However, I do believe that more needs to be done in the way of educating the public in terms of reducing their environmental impact via simple dietary adjustments. And this is predominantly in the hands of such organisations and they have a responsibility and ability to do the right thing.

Happy new year! I hope you had a fantastic Christmas. Christmas is definitely a testing time for people trying to convert to vegetarianism - due to deeply entrenched traditions, a lot of which involve food - where such an undertaking may not be catered for sufficiently. Also, over the festive period I have been contemplating what is worse - to reject eating meat and thereby see it go to waste, or eating it. This may be a self justification for being unable to deny the festive favourites I have grown up enjoying or it may be a salient point worth consideration. 

If you have any opinions on the matter I would love to hear you're thoughts! 

Domesticated Turkey Farm. Source: Wikipedia