Small Sacrifices for Humanity's Sake

As most people may know, one of the leading causes of climate trauma and global warming is the consumption of meat. With, very few people with this knowledge make the sacrifice of becoming vegetarian. And at the end of the day, yes, it is a sacrifice.

Giving something you love up is not easy. It’s hard for me to say I “love” meat, but most vegetarians and vegans give up meat because they don’t like it. When I ate meat I enjoyed it a lot, but I enjoy living guilt free and having an environmentally beneficial diet more. The climate-based argument for giving up meat is strong, but what really drove me is the humane argument. How can people slaughter harmless animals for 30 minutes of enjoyment? People may argue “this is how humans survived for centuries” and reference our hunter gatherer ancestors who survived off eating meat. My response to this is why are you pretending you don’t have a choice. You can survive off a vegan and vegetarian diet, many people do it. And killing one cow, for example, with a spear is vastly different then murdering thousands of cows simultaneously so you can enjoy a burger and slowly kill the planet.

Then of course there’s the “protein argument”. “You need meat to be healthy! You need meat to build muscle!”. There are so many protein-rich alternatives to a carnivorous diet you could be eating and getting the exact same amount of protein. Beans, tofu, cottage cheese, eggs, almonds, edamame to name a few. You are choosing meat because it is easier and tastier and you’re selfish. In complete honestly it baffles me how people can completely disregard the life they took away while they choose to eat a dead animal.

But enough of the humane argument. The meat industry is killing our planet. Methane released from cows is contributing to global warming at an alarming rate. Overfishing is dismantling ecosystems that are essential for marine species’ livelihood. Humans are the problem, plant-based diets are the answer. Committing to vegetarianism and veganism is not easy. You must be willing to give up food you may love, but it’s important to remember your why.

Why am I doing thing? Think of the lives of the animals you’re saving. Think of the positive impact you’re having on the environment. You will have to master self-control. You will have to resist urges. You will have to put your values first and it will be the most rewarding feeling when you reach you first week without meat, then your first month, and at last your first year. You will be helping a greater cause just by filtering the things you eat and it will be the best choice you ever make.