We have Al Gore to thank for increasing the mainstream public's awareness about the urgency of climate change with his documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth. It's also true, however, as many environmental groups including EarthSave have pointed out, that Gore was remiss in mentioning a very big and inconvenient truth about a key factor in climate change-the factory farming of animals.

As a well-read environmentalist, I wasn't very shocked by An Inconvenient Truth, but I was very pleased to see a packed movie theatre of people taking in the welldone graphics, information and statistic. There was one point in Gore's documentary, however, when I got excited and stopped eating my popcorn (organic and brought from home, of course). When beautiful Black Angus cattle appeared on the screen I thought to myself, "Finally, he's going to point out the link between factory farming and our environment."

No such luck. The shot was simply a scene from his childhood, which is when his longtime interest in the cattle industry began-nothing to do with the fact that factory farming creates more pollution than transportation, including cars, trucks, trains and planes combined.

Make a change
A research review published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal concluded that the one personal act that can have a profound impact on the environmental and health issues derived from current agricultural practices is reducing meat consumption.

The editors of World Watch Magazine report that the "Growing demand for meat has become a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future." The five-fold increase in meat consumption over the past 50 years is significantly impacting the planet's resources, such as water, land and fuel.

Researchers at Stanford University agree, predicting that the increase of meat production and consumption, will have major consequences on the global environment by affecting the quality of the atmosphere, water, and soil. The current means of raising animals for food simply does not support a sustainable future.

"One of the most positive effects you can have on the environment begins on your dinner plate," say the authors of the soon-tobe published Global Warming Diet, American chef Laura Stec and climate change expert Eugene Cordero. They suggest, "Eating more local, more organic, adding more seasonal food, using less packaging, buying in bulk, and growing your own food."

Meat-free ideas
Even if you don't give up animal products altogether or all at once, there are many ways to make a difference. Replace one, two, and eventually three or four meat meals with a vegetarian meal each week. Do so gradually, taking time to convert current recipes or try out new ones.

Eat smaller amounts of meat and more vegetables when eating a meat meal. Go easy on the tofu. Besides the fact that soy is the latest cash crop in the world, resulting in valuable rainforest to be destroyed, it is a powerful food that can both heal and harm. If not of high quality and eaten in moderation, it's best left alone.

Get to know beans and legumes. Beans and legumes are excellent replacements for meat. They are versatile and provide plenty of plant protein, along with fibre, vitamins and minerals. Try a new bean recipe each week. There mare many vegetables available, especially in the fall harvest season. Choose vegetables you wouldn't normally purchase and find out what to do with them.

Use familiar vegetables in new ways. If you're used to stir frying veggies, try a casserole, or simply steaming or roasting them and topping with a sauce or gravy.

Giving up or reducing our use of animal products may be inconvenient for those of us still eating them, but it's becoming increasingly clear that meat eating is no longer just a health or animal rights issue, it's a moral issue that will affect the survival of human kind and the planet.

Sure, giving up meat is inconvenient, but so is ending life on Earth.

Eating up the earth
Every steak has the same global warming effect as a 25-mile drive in a typical North
American car.

Eighty-five percent of North American topsoil is lost from cropland, pasture, rangeland
and forest land due to raising livestock.

Livestock production accounts for more than half all water use in the U.S.

There has been a 70 percent decrease of woodlands in Canada due to animal agriculture.

Cattle production is the leading cause of deforestation in Central America.
Source: EarthSave Canada

Recipe: Roasted veggies with tahini gravy
Wash a variety of fall vegetables, such as squash, beets, potatoes, carrots and onions. Cut all but the beets into large chunks. Keeping the beets whole will prevent the loss of their nutritious juices (If cut the juice would also dye all other veggies pink!). Place in a glass baking dish or small roasting pan and roast for 40 minutes at 350 C, or until all vegetables are soft when poked with a fork. About 15 minutes before your vegetables will be ready, prepare the vegetarian gravy.

2 Tbsp potato or corn starch (non-GMO); 3 Tbsp organic soy sauce; 1.5 cups water;
2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 Tbsp tahini (sesame butter)

In a saucepan, mix the starch and soy sauce to make a smooth paste. Whisk in the water, ensuring there are no lumps left. Add the garlic and slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly with the whisk. Once thick, remove from heat and whisk the tahini into the mixture. Arrange roasted vegetables on plates and top with gravy.

Gravy recipe yields approximately 1.5 cups and can successfully be doubled if required.

Sandra Tonn is a registered holistic nutritionist, natural health writer and speaker, whole foods nutrition teacher, and certified hatha, yin, and kids yoga instructor. www.sandratonn.com

Want to search for other articles that may interest you?

Readers of this article also enjoyed...