At this time of year, many of us become introspective and consider making meaningful changes to increase our own happiness and well-being and enrich the lives of others. If I may be so bold, I would like to offer a suggestion that does just that: reduce consumption of animal products. Making this simple change in your eating habits goes a long way to eliminate one of the biggest contributors to global warming and deforestation, save the lives of the most vulnerable animals on the planet, lower body mass index, cholesterol and blood pressure levels and increase life expectancy. Please hear me out while I make my argument.
A study conducted by the University of Chicago found that eating a plant-based diet is more effective in fighting global warming than switching to driving a hybrid. If everyone in America ate one vegan meal a week, it would be the same as taking 500,000 cars off the road. To make one quarter-pound hamburger patty requires 58 gallons of water. If every American were to reduce meat consumption by 25 percent, 82 million metric tons of greenhouse emissions would be saved annually. Think about that the next time you’re roasting in 100-degree temperatures.