Humans Bring 6th Major Extinction
In the past there were 5 major extinctions that destroyed most life on the planet. Today, Humans are bringing the 6th major extinction.
Need a New Year’s Resolution? Eat Less Meat
Need a New Years Resolution? Wanna do something simple that can help the environment and reduce general suffering in the world?
Eat less meat.
According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, 18% of Green House Gases are attributed to raising animals as food (New York Times). When you think about it, this makes sense. Vast amounts of land are cleared of trees for animal containment. These animals in turn will eat much of the food on the land and fart it out in the form of Carbon Dioxide (it’s crude but true!).
You don’t have to go 100% cold turkey into the Vegetarian Lifestyle to make a difference (or I guess I should say no turkey).
Even committing to eating less meat in your day to day life can help.
One simple thing you can do is to start having a Meatless Monday (or a Tofu Tuesday if you prefer).
Or you can commit to buying your meat from more local based, small farms at the Farmer’s Market.
Most Americans eat too much meat anyways – consuming an average of 200 pounds a year. That’s about 67 Telephone books!
Most sources say that you only need to eat 5-6 ounces of protein a day (that’s about the size of a deck of cards). Yet the average American eats twice that amount (Huffington Post). The ideal diet is composed of high amounts of fruits, veggies, whole grains and a small amount of lean meats (with a focus more on poultry and eggs than red meat). Reducing your consumption of meat (red meat in particular) can increase your lifespan, reduce your weight and improve your overall health.
You are what you eat. Would you rather be a pig or a lean bean?
HELPFUL INFOGRAPHIC
A Plan B for the World
As humans, we are our own greatest predator.
The world’s population is growing.
80 million people are added each year.
215 million women around the globe have no access to birth control. Anthropologists who live among these women say, “they live in fear of their next pregnancy.”
Resources are shrinking.
Soil erosion, deforestation, and factory farms are turning the world’s grasslands and forests into deserts.
The cost of food world wide tripled in 2007 and 2008.
Water levels are decreasing.
Global warming as well as poor farming methods are depleting levels of water around the globe.
We’re riding of the rails of a crazy train and the conductor is pressing his foot to the accelerator.
With an exploding population
Mounting poverty world wide
Decreases in the available food and water world wide,
Damage to the world that sustains us
The future outlook is not good
We need a plan B for the world!
A Four Part, Plan B for the World
Lester Brown’s Plan B, from his book, World on the Edge
Spirit of the air, ancient one of the east, give me the knowledge, to purify my world
Spirit of the flame, ancient one of the south, give me power over my own body, and my own sexuality
Spirit of water, ancient one of the west, let your dream flow free, like the torrents of a river
Spirit of the earth, ancient one of north, let me learn from your forests, how to live with your creatures
1. A massive cut in carbon emissions in the air by 2020
We can shift away from burning fossil fuels by tapping the Earth’s wealth of wind, solar, and geothermal energy.
This transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy can be driven primarily by tax restructuring: steadily lowering income taxes to offset this reduction with a rise on Carbon Emission taxes.
2. Stabilize the world’s population to no more than 8 million by 2012
Provide women around the world with the basics of family planning and contraception
3. Eradicate poverty
Provide primary education for ALL boys and girls around the world.
4. The reforestation of forests, soil, aquifers, and fisheries
Recycle water
Ban deforestation
Establish more efficient irrigation systems
Arrest the fall in water tables by raising water productivity
It’s not impossible!
Doing all these things would cost a mere 200 billion, an eighth of the current world military spending.
