Veggie Way Saves the Day

David Suzuki’s shows on TV were my first introduction to our human impact on the environment. At the end of each show I would feel despondent and overwhelmed about the future of life on the planet. What could one person do? Reduce, reuse, and recycle just didn’t seem like enough.

One book was enough to turn that all around–John Robbins’ paradigm-shifting book Diet for a New America (Stillpoint, 1987). In it, clearly laid out, were the connections between what we eat every day and the impact of those foods on environmental destruction.

A Meaty Problem

Just how big an impact does a diet that includes meat have on the environment in Canada?

• Hog farming in Canada causes problems by leaching endocrine disruptors into waterways. These disruptors have been linked to adverse effects on fish and wildlife, and natural animal estrogens are now considered a human carcinogen.
• It is estimated that one hog creates nearly 2 tonnes of fecal and urine waste each year. Eighteen million hogs are produced in Canada annually.
• Walkerton, Ontario, an area of high cattle, dairy, and hog production, experienced a fatal tainted water tragedy in May 2000 that was created by cattle manure and E. coli flooding into a local water well.
• Meanwhile, in the rest of the world, animal production contributes to desertification, methane (a greenhouse gas), reduced air and water quality, antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, and deforestation.

The Solution?

Armed with this information, you might find new joy in chowing down on black bean chili, slurping minestrone soup, or biting into a mushroom burger. Not only will you be eating well, but you’ll sleep better, too, knowing you’ve stepped lightly on the Earth.

Best Ever Bean Chili