This Earth Day, pledge for a life that’s vegan-friendly and shuns cruelty.
Earth Day (celebrated every year on April 22) is a time to support the earth, which is our home. However, this planet is under threat and it’s time for us all to bring some positive changes. The temperatures over the past few years have been recorded to be the hottest and animal agriculture is a key contributor to earth’s rising mercury levels. To make room for animal farming, trees are getting burned. Almost 91% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed due to factory farming, says the World Bank. The worrying news is that climate change is triggered by several additional contributing factors, many of which arise due to the way livestock is kept and raised. It’s time to take this climate crisis seriously right away. Here are four ways you can contribute to ring in a vegan Earth Day.
Save your fuzzy friends – the bees
The death rate of bees is shocking. For humans, this is worrying because bees pollinate our vegetables and fruits. A comprehensive Harvard study published in The Huffington Post in 2014 revealed the bees’ death due to pesticides like neonicotinoids that target the insects’ central nervous systems to kill them. You can help in restoring the bee population by planting bee-friendly plants like sunflowers, lavender, California lilac, thyme, rosemary and mint. You can even build a bee bath to help the bees. To do this, put water inside a shallow container to fill it. Place some pebbles and twigs at the bottom, which would help the bees stand and drink, thus keeping them hydrated. You should clean the container and change the water daily to ensure the bee bath feels welcoming to the bees. This way, the bees that you hope to attract would know they can come back as many times as they want to.
Go on a beach cleaning drive
70% of the earth’s surface comprises of oceans, and these oceans make up for 97% of earth’s water. Even in our survival, the oceans lend a helping hand by generating 50% of the oxygen we inhale, while consuming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. No wonder Earth Day is the ideal chance to celebrate these beaches. So, this Earth Day, when you enjoy your local beach, make sure to bring a bucket and gloves along, which would let you pick up the trash on the beach safely and lend your support to the planet we call our home. National Geographic puts the amount of plastic debris in the sea to a disturbing 5.25 trillion pieces, 269,000 tons of which stay afloat on the surface of the ocean. Unless we act now, we are likely to pave way for fishless oceans by 2048, all thanks to the chemicals and trash that get dumped into the oceans and the millions of fish we pull out from the oceans annually. So, come to clean the beach on April 22 and bring your neighbors and friends along!
Publicize the benefits of going vegan
This Earth Day, talk to your omnivorous family members, friends, colleagues and neighbors to remind them about the harmful environmental effects triggered by eating meat. You can emphasize your point by mentioning the amount of water required to produce a pound of beef (1,847 gallons), chicken (518 gallons) and pork (718 gallons) respectively. The advantages of a vegan diet is summed up perfectly in Cowspiracy – the documentary, which explains that a daily vegan diet not only saves one animal’s life but also saves these: forested land spread across 30 square feet, 45 pounds of grain, 1,100 gallons of water, and 20 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. In case your meat-eating omnivorous friends, family and others are still not convinced, don the chef’s hat to rustle up a delicious vegan meal for them. You will surely get a big “thank you” in return from the earth.
Replace plastic with reusable products
All of us are guilty of using plastic in various ways – from storing drinking water in plastic water bottles to using plastic bags during our grocery shopping. It’s time we shun plastic and start using reusable bags during our shopping spree. In case you forget to bring along your reusable bags and need to shop for a handful of items, opt to carry them by hand (and not in plastic bags) to your car. With time and some practice, you will eventually develop a habit of bringing reusable bags whenever you go out. Remember to buy a reusable bottle to carry your water, coffee or tea anywhere and everywhere you go.
This planet needs you to act for its survival. So, start giving your support to environmental protection through encouraging people to take up a vegan lifestyle right from April 22 this year when we all celebrate the Earth Day.
