We subscribe to Restore, the Society for Ecological Restoration’s weekly newsletter. This week’s issue contained an article on a topic that’s often overlooked in the pursuit of sustainable ways of living, yet it’s one that is not only healthy but will save us money too; it’s simply eating more fruit and vegetables and less meat. What, you may ask, has my eating meat got to do with the environment? It’s a good question. The production of meat is extremely resource-intensive. That means that it requires a lot of inputs for the finished product – the steak and sausages. John Robbins, the son of the Robbins in ‘Baskin and Robbins’ of the icecream institution and an author in his own right, was recently interviewed for emagazine.com on this very topic and that interview is the one I saw in Restore. I love the way that John describes the water requirements to produce one pound (450 grams) of beef. He’s American, so the measurements are in imperial but the point still stands. He says:
Let’s say you take a shower every day and that these showers average seven minutes. That’s 49 minutes of showering a week. Let’s say that’s 50 minutes a week, with flow rates of two gallons a minute (which is very strong). At that rate, you’d be using 100 gallons a week for showering. That’s 5,200 gallons a year to shower. It takes 5,214 gallons of water to produce one pound of California beef (according to University of California Agricultural Extension). You’d save as much water by not eating one pound of beef as you would by not showering every day for one year.
Now, I knew that the production of beef for human consumption is incredibly resource-hungry but I had no idea that I would have to not shower for an entire year just to free-up the amount of water that’s required to produce 450 grams!
That’s just considering the water. Beef production also requires significantly large inputs of: fertilisers to ensure pasture growth for the cows to feed on; hormones, medicines, fungicides and immunisations for the cows to ensure they’re in good condition; fossil fuels in the transport of all necessary inputs, the spreading of fertilisers, fungicides and herbicides and the transport of the animals themselves; fossil fuels to run the farms, the abattoirs and the shops that retail the meat and; packaging, much of which is not recyclable. There is more of course, but that’s a good start.
In 2009 in Baltimore, USA, a movement called ‘Meatless Monday’ was started to try and get people to eat less meat and eat more fruit and vegetables, even just for one day a week. Instead of being about animal cruelty, as movements like this often were about in the past, Meatless Monday is about human and environmental health. It recognises that in order to be healthy, we need to be eating more fresh, plant-based foods. That basic concept has always been known and accepted (remember that old staple, the Good Food Triangle?) but often not followed, especially in the face of rising convenience and pre-packaged foods and the longer hours that people around the world are working, meaning they have less time to prepare fresh meals.
Robert Lawrence, Director of the Center for a Liveable Future at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland was interviewed about Meatless Monday on ABC Radio National’s Future Tense program in June this year. The centre is concerned about the environmental impacts of meat production as well as the human health aspects of eating more meat than we need. During the interview, he explained that when people say to him
‘I’m so overwhelmed by the news about climate change, about environmental degradation, I feel helpless. What can I do?’
He replies
‘Well 21 times a week you make a decision that can either help or harm climate change, and you can manage your own personal carbon footprint by the way in which you choose to consume food.’
He said that people’s understanding of the contribution that eating less meat can make to climate change is beginning to get more traction. The trick is to replace the meat with plant-based foods and there are literally hundreds of options to choose from including dishes like salads, roasted vegetables with balsamic vinegar, vego lasagne, pumpkin and chick pea curry, lentil burgers, bean and vegetable au gratin… the list is endless.
For me, it’s a simple and easy way to minimise the amount of carbon that is needed to support the way I live. I choose to eat vegetarian food all the time, mostly because I have more energy when I eat that way, but also because I know it’s good for me and the environment.
After reading John Robbin’s explanation of the water requirements to produce meat, Meatless Monday suddenly seems like one of the most effective things that people can do to help the environment! If you’re new to vegetarian cooking and need some good recipes, we suggest you peruse the goodies on offer at readysteadycook, Taste, The Veggie Table and About.com. These Fig and Goat’s Cheese pizzas from Taste.com are making me hungry!
- For the full transcript of the Future Tense talkback session, visit the ABC Radio National or you can download the podcast
- To read the John Robbins interview, visit e-magazine
- The Herald Sun ran an article on Meatless Mondays last month, you can read it here
Well, that’s a wrap. Until next time…
