"We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change and we are the last generation that can do something about it."
--Jay Inslee
I have long advocated
for plant-based eating because of its proven health benefits. A plant-based way of eating is proven to reverse and prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart
disease.
Now consider this: a recent article in Sierra
Magazine talked about the positive significance to improving the health of the planet when we
shift from an animal-centric food culture to plant-based eating.
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| Photo credits: Barbara DuPont |
Raising animals
as food for humans is destructive to our waterways, our land, our air, and our energy
balance. Fossil fuel energy is used to
grow the grains which are fed to cows, pigs, and chickens which are then slaughtered and consumed by humans. Think about this: one dairy cow eats about 30 pounds of baled
hay and 25 pounds of grain mix (corn, soybean meal, vitamins, and minerals) per
day. Eating a meat-based diet contributes
to the leading causes of death and disease of Americans, including cancer,
diabetes, and heart disease. The fact is that saturated
fats, found only in foods that come from animal, are a major source of
disease.
Did you know that switching to
a plant-based way of eating has a more positive impact on climate change
than buying an electric car?
We are at a
tipping point in the climate change crisis with precious little time to divert
our course from one of massive planetary disaster. America needs leaders who will close all
coal-fired power plants in the next 3 years.
We need to get back into the Paris Climate Agreement. We need incentives for automobile
manufacturers to phase out the manufacture of fossil-fueled automobiles by 2023 or sooner. School districts and businesses need to
switch off of fossil fuels and adopt renewable energy sources. We can all plant more trees.
Failure to act is unacceptable. According to Dr. Renee Salas of Harvard University, "Climate change, and the air pollution from fossil fuels that are driving it, threaten a child's health start in their mother's womb and only accumulate from there."
Failure to act is unacceptable. According to Dr. Renee Salas of Harvard University, "Climate change, and the air pollution from fossil fuels that are driving it, threaten a child's health start in their mother's womb and only accumulate from there."
Make the
commitment. Move towards a plant-based way of eating. The life of our planet - and the health of our children - is at stake.
With love,
Nancy
Heinrich, MPH
