Going vegan is more than just a trend in 2020
It’s that time of the year when you’re probably starting to think about your New Year’s resolution for 2020. Many people will make going vegan their 2020 goal. But, choosing to adopt a vegan lifestyle should have more significance than simply being your New Year’s resolution. Have you taken into consideration the benefits for the planet of going vegan?
While your decision to switch to a plant-based diet may be for health and/or ethical reasons, it could be one of the most important contributions you can make to combating climate change. According to a 2016 paper published in Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences, “a mass switch to vegetarianism would bring down food-related greenhouse gases by 63 per cent. If widespread veganism was adopted, that 63 per cent reduction in emissions shoots up to 70 per cent.”[1]
Adopting a vegan diet could lead to a better and more sustainable future for all of the inhabitants of our planet. A person who eats a vegan diet saves the following:
- 1,100 gallons of water
- 45 pounds of grain
- 30 square feet of forested land
- 20 pounds of CO2 equivalent
- (1) animal’s life [2]
More than a New Year’s resolution
If you’re seriously thinking about adopting a vegan lifestyle as your 2020 New Year’s resolution, you need to look at the bigger picture rather than just one issue. For many people, going vegan is about putting an end to animal cruelty and suffering. It’s also about all of the health benefits that come with a plant-based diet — lower risk of various diseases, a lower BMI, and reduced LDL cholesterol. [3]
But there are some that think that veganism can save the planet. According to figures from the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, “one-third of our greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture.”[4] In addition, the way we get our food has led to deforestation, a change in land use, and a loss of biodiversity.
Coupled with water and soil pollution, overfishing, groundwater depletion, and an excessive use of chemicals in the production of our food, our food system has played and is still playing a major part in climate change.
Living a lifestyle
Going vegan in 2020? Increasing the number of vegans in the world has the potential to really help in the fight against climate change and global warming. Simple changes can make a difference, especially if enough people make the switch to veganism.
With that in mind, Vegan Life Nutrition offers a variety of vegan vitamins and supplements to ensure that you’re getting important vitamins and minerals that may be missing as you transition to a plant-based diet.
