Global temperatures have been increasing annually, and their effect is devastating on people’s behavior and lifestyles. Increases in temperature and shifting weather patterns affect air quality, leading to respiratory and cardiovascular health effects such as asthma. An increase in carbon dioxide levels and an exponential rise in temperatures increase airborne allergens such as ragweed pollen. For example, hay fever allergic illness affects about one-third of the United States population. Besides, more than 34 million people in the USA have been diagnosed with asthma. Rising temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations trigger early flowering. Thus increasing pollen levels such as ragweed. The rise of global temperatures reduces the availability of quality water and safe food. Change in global temperatures escalates vector-borne diseases.

Some vectors include mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. Vectors carry pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. They result in to increase in diseases spread by vectors. An increase in temperatures favors the multiplication of ticks resulting in Lyme diseases, which lower animal products’ quality. Besides, mosquitoes may thrive under sweltering temperatures resulting in to spread of the West Nile Virus. For example, in the USA, more than three million people were diagnosed with the virus between 1999 and 2010. An increase in global temperatures increases water-related illness due to the effects of storms, runoff, and heavy rains. Health impacts include gastrointestinal illnesses such as diarrhea. Food safety and nutrition become critical under extreme temperatures. For example, Salmonella thrives under higher temperatures, which causes food poising. The bacteria causes severe illness and can result in death. Higher sea surface temperatures increase mercury concentrations in seafood introducing contaminants in the food chain. Food distribution becomes a challenge under higher temperatures. Therefore, a plant-based diet can contribute to climate change due to dairy and milk products’ consumption.

Impact of a plant-based diet on climate change

Consumption of dairy products and meat contributes to global warming, with most scientists calling out people to adjust their lifestyles and become vegans. According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 107 scientists prepared suggested that small land can feed huge populations if people restrain from eating meat. They further stated that land could be used as carbon sinks emitted by human beings if utilized effectively. The panel stated that greenhouse emissions increase tremendously, resulting from food waste and loss, especially from field to kitchen bins. They estimated that the food waste contributes to 8-10% of the global greenhouse emissions (United States Environmental Protection Agency). The panel held in Geneva, Switzerland, proposed people adopt vegan characters in saving the world.

The earth’s surface forms the basis of human society, and the global economy relies on it. However, the continuous release of greenhouse gases is reshaping the climate in a devastating state. The rearing of livestock facilitates global warming by the release of methane gas into the atmosphere. Livestock produces methane gas, which is a greenhouse gas, thus contributing to global warming. An increase in temperature due to greenhouse gases destroys the ozone layer, which results in greenhouse gases. A section of German MPs has proposed an increase in meat tax to alleviate climate change. The environmental impact of meat and dairy products is significant to the majority of vegans and vegetarians.

Interestingly, a UK-based group sponsored a hashtag #NoBeef Lobbies caterers. It was aimed to scrap lamb and beef diets from student’s menus. Iron-rich compounds such as heme can be used in the substitution of meat products. For example, in the USA, vegan burger patties are prepared from plant-based products, heme (Harrabin). It is estimated that 26% of food products contribute to global emissions, with 58% of animal products emerge as the highest food impact on the atmosphere. Beef and lamb products recorded 50% of animal emissions, according to Poore and Nemecek (2018).

According to FAO, it estimated that dairy and meat products contribute to 14.5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists argue that change in eating lifestyle can lower global temperatures and become vegans. How do emissions from meat and dairy products impact the global climate? Ruminant animals such as cows produce methane a lot of methane gas after digestion. The stomach of cows are specialized and contain bacteria that digest fibrous and tough grass feeds. During the digestion process, the animal belches out methane, a greenhouse gas that is more 28 to 34 more potent than carbon dioxide in 100 years.

Cows take longer to grow and start producing, thus utilizing more feeds and land that could be used for vegetarian purposes (Pike). According to a nutritionist at Harvard University, Amazon has been associated with increased forest fires due to increased land clearing for cattle ranching. Grazing fields require frequent replenishing of nutrients to sustain cattle. Farmers use nitrogen fertilizers to replenish pastures. Nitrogen fertilizers contribute to the production of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, which are greenhouse gases. Therefore, average meat and milk products have a higher climatic impact than poultry and pork.

Can change to vegan, vegetarian and other diets reduce greenhouse emissions? It is estimated that plant based foods have a limited impact on climate change, and change to a plant-based diet from beef and dairy products could reduce greenhouse emissions. According to IPCC, a vegan is an entirely plant-based diet, while a vegetarian is a diet that comprises eggs, oils, sugars, fruits, vegetables, and cereals. The IPCC survey showed that change to veganism resulted in the highest reduction of greenhouse gases than any other dietary shift. 

The panel suggested that veganism could revert 8 billion tons of carbon dioxide at the end of 2050. Doing so will provide more land for developing forests that act as carbon sinks. The shift in vegetarianism is estimated to revert 6 billion of carbon dioxide annually before 2050. Therefore, healthy lifestyles can help offset the greenhouse gases’ menace and contribute to mitigating global climate change. According to Public Health England’s Eatwell Guide proposes its citizens to consume more fruits and vegetables rather than meat and dairy products.

 Bedsides, a nutritional survey conducted in 2016, revealed that a shift to plant-based diets would reduce the mortality rate 10% at the end of 2050 and reduce up to 70% greenhouse emissions than a business-as-usual scenario (Dunne). However, the cause/effect of meat and dairy products have raised some concerns such as prices of non-dairy and meat substitutes, limited vegan fast-food options, limited fast-food options in the rural areas, and the impact of meat towns on changing to a plant-based diet.

Concerns on shifting from meat and dairy consumption to plant-based diet

The first concern is the prices of non-dairy and meat substitutions. The cost of going vegan is estimated to be an expensive lifestyle among many people. In the United Kingdom, the number of vegans has been increasing with 600,000 vegans as in 2019. They have adopted the lifestyle for environmental and health reasons (Wunsch). It is estimated that a vegan diet can cost an individual $2,000, making veganism an expensive diet choice, according to research conducted in 2016. However, meat substitutes have increased, and you can shop your favorite item from specialist stores or supermarkets. It should not be confined only to cereals, but also sea feeds.

Vegan diets are relatively expensive compared to meat and dairy products; thus, people should control their expenditure. Table I shows a comparison of vegans and meat substitutes. From the table, vegans are more expensive than meat and dairy products, which might make it difficult for people to change their lifestyles (Philps). Second, there are fewer vegan fast-food options to facilitate effective shifting to vegans.

Table 1: Prices of vegans vs. meat substitutes

	Cheaper meat option	Vegan meat option
Beef	Boswell Farm Rump steak 227g @ $2.34	Vivera Veggie Steak 200g  @ $2.99
Mince	Boswell Farms 20% fat 500g@ $1.49	Sainsbury’s Naturli Plant-based Mince 400g @ $3.00
Beef burger	Tesco Quarter-Pounders (4 burgers) @ $2.50	Wicked Kitchen Jalapeno Griller Patties (2 burgers) @ $3.00

People are trying to eat a more sustainable plant-based diet in fighting animal-product-induced lethargy (BAKER). However, there is the challenge of finding convenient and favorite fast-food outlets. Some of the vegan fast-food options include;

• Burger king French toast sticks,
• White castle impossible slides
• Chipotle
• Domino’s thin crust pizza
• Burger king impossible whopper
• Wendy’s plain baked potato
• Panera Baja grain bowl  

Third, there are limited vegan options in the rural areas, making it difficult for people to shift from meat and dairy diets. The majority of vegan options in the rural areas include local cereals, dried pasta, fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, and biscuits. The majority of the vegan options can be available in urban areas where they might not be cost-effective to most people. Forth, meat run towns might pose a significant challenge. Meat run towns are a source of income and employment to many people. People working in the meat outlets might oppose any implementations to transform meat and dairy products to plant-based products. If all people adopt vegans and vegetarian lifestyles, meat-run towns might endure significant losses, resulting in a decline in dairy and meat industries. However, the advantages of going vegans surpass its challenges.

Significance of shifting to vegans

First, vegans produce fewer greenhouse gases, as discussed in the previous sessions. According to New Scientist Magazine, going vegan can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to 60% of climate change. It will assist in stopping animal suffering and improve an individual’s health. The production of animal-based diets contributes to more greenhouse emissions compared to a plant-based diet (Brown). Fertilizer use on the pastures and water usage will reduce which will be utilized for farming purposes and agroforestry, thus making the environment sustainable. Second, vegans are healthier, and they have limited effects on our health.

Vegans have lower cholesterol, calcium, salt, protein, and high fiber than meat and dairy diets. Vegans have limited chances of developing cardiovascular diseases. Still, they might be at risk of stroke due to lack of vitamin B12 present in eggs, dairy, fish, and meat, according to the Nutritional Epidemiology Group. Finally, vegans produce less landfill waste (MANGLA). Vegan eliminates trash, and it’s environmentally friendly. It helps in reducing much waste and carbon footprint.

Overall, a plant-based diet is significant for our health and sustainable environment. It reduces carbon footprint, thus reducing greenhouse gases. Although there might be limited vegan substitutes in the rural areas, people should adopt the available cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Going vegan will reduce climate change.

Works Cited #

BAKER, EMMA. “15 Vegan Fast-Food Items You’ve Gotta Try Now.” 22 November 2019. Cosmopolitan. 3 February 2021.

Brown, Jessica. “The Vegan Factor .” Are there health benefits to going vegan? (2020).

Dunne, Daisy. “What is the climate impact of eating meat and dairy?” 5 May 2020. Greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram for different food groups. 3 February 2021.

Harrabin, Roger. “Plant-based diet can fight climate change – UN.” 8 August 2019. BBC. 3 February 2021.

MANGLA, ANJALI. “Zero Waste Movement: A Closer Look.” 1 October 2020. Yaledaily News. 3 february 2021.

Philps, Rhiannon. “What is the cost of going vegan?” 20 January 2021. erdwalle. 3 February 2021.

Pike, Lili. “Why we need policies to reduce meat consumption now.” 17 November 2020. VOX. 3 February 2021.

United States Environmental Protection Agency. “Climate Impacts on Human Health.” 5 September 2016. Climate Change Impacts. 3 February 2021.

Wunsch, Nils-Gerrit. “Meat substitutes market in the U.S. – Statistics and Facts.” 2 December 2020. Statista. 3 February 2021.