Dear Editor,
The Langley Environmental Partners Society and Green Ideas Network are two local organizations that do good work in educating the public on how to be more eco-friendly.
However, as with most environmental agencies, they are missing an important issue, as indicated by their upcoming fundraiser of “Burger and Beer.”
That issue is the relationship between our food choices and the environment, specifically, how our food choices impact climate change, water resources, fossil fuel usage, world hunger, ocean dead zones, and rainforest destruction.
Greenhouse gas emissions of beef is 10 times that of plant proteins.
Bovine meat tops the water footprint chart using over 15,000 litres of water per kilograms of beef; it is the highest of all animal products which, in turn, are higher than plant proteins.
If one replaces one pound of ground beef in a Sloppy Joe recipe with a plant protein, one could save roughly 6,500 litres of water, divert 18 kilograms of manure, and eliminate enough greenhouse gas to drive 43 kilometres.
On average, it takes roughly 10 times more fossil fuel energy to produce meat protein than plant protein.
Hence, it would be more energy-saving to eat plant protein.
Environmental organizations have a higher duty of care to align their fundraising activities with caring for the environment.
No other human activity other than animal agriculture is more damaging to the environment, as declared by the United Nations, National Audubon Society, Worldwatch Institute, Sierra Club, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
I would suggest that perhaps a plant sale or a vegan meal fundraiser might be better choices than “Burger and Beer.”
To learn more about the environmental, health, and social impacts of consuming animal products, visit www.restoreourplanetdiet.com.
Dr. Patricia Tallman,
Willoughby
