Meat Free Mondays on tenerife
Join our #meatfreemondaycanarias !
Over the last 11 years, Meat Free Monday has become a common topic of conversation across the UK and in various European cities. Originally started by Sir Paul McCartney along with Mary and Stella, this non profit organisation is designed to raise awareness of the detrimental effect animal agriculture and industrial fishing has on the environment.
What Are Meat Free Mondays?
Insider Tip
Find a local farm and order their in season veggie boxes. Finca La Calabacera is one in the south of Tenerife .
Why Should We Implement Meat Free Mondays?
Studies from Oxford University have also shown the significant effect eating meat has on our health and that a reduction in the consumption of meat to 3 times a week can prevent 31,000 deaths from heart disease, 9,000 deaths from cancer and 5,000 deaths from stroke each year. These staggering figures are enough to turn stomachs and something as simple as reducing our intake of meat can have such a positive effect on not just our personal health but also the health of our planet. Here some environmental effects:
- GREENHOUSE GASES -
- Livestock and their by-products account for at least 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year, or 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions.
- Animal agriculture is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined exhaust from all transportation.
- Methane is 25-100 times more destructive than CO2 on a 20 year time frame.
- Livestock is responsible for 65% of all human-related emissions of nitrous oxide – a greenhouse gas with 296 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide, and which stays in the atmosphere for 150 years.
- Emissions for agriculture projected to increase 80% by 2050.
- Even without fossil fuels, we will exceed our 565 gigatons CO2e limit by 2030, all from raising animals.
- WATER -
- Growing feed crops for livestock consumes 56% of water in the US.
- Agriculture is responsible for 80-90% of US water consumption.
- 2,500 gallons (9,500L) of water are needed to produce 1 pound (less than 1/2 kg) of beef.
- 1,000 gallons (3,800L) of water are required to produce 1 gallon (less than 1/2 L)of milk.
- 5% of water consumed in the US is by private homes. 55% of water consumed in the US is for animal agriculture.
- Animal Agriculture is responsible for 20%-33% of all fresh water consumption in the world today.
- LAND -
- Livestock or livestock feed occupies 1/3 of the earth’s ice-free land.
- Livestock covers 45% of the earth’s total land
- Animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, and habitat destruction
- 1/3 of the planet is desertified, with livestock as the leading driver
- Livestock operations on land have created more than 500 nitrogen flooded deadzones around the world in our oceans.
- WASTE -
- A farm with 2,500 dairy cows produces the same amount of waste as a city of 411,000 people
- 130 times more animal waste than human waste is produced in the US
- Just in the U.S. livestock produce 116,000 lbs (52 tons) of waste per second
- OCEANS -
- 3/4 of the world’s fisheries are exploited or depleted.
- We could see fishless oceans by 2048.
- For every 1 pound of fish caught, up to 5 pounds of unintended marine species are caught and discarded as by-kill.
- As many as 40% (63 billion pounds/ 28 billion kg) of fish caught globally every year are discarded.
- Scientists estimate as many as 650,000 whales, dolphins and seals are killed every year by fishing vessels
- RAINFOREST -
- Animal agriculture is responsible for up to 91% of Amazon destruction.
- The leading causes of rainforest destruction are livestock and feedcrops
- Up to 137 plant, animal and insect species are lost every day due to rainforest destruction
- 136 million rainforest acres cleared for animal agriculture. 26 million rainforest acres have been cleared for palm oil production.
- Wildlife -
- Ten thousand years ago, 99% of biomass (i.e. zoomass) was wild animals. Today, humans and the animals that we raise as food make up 98% of the zoomass.
Did you know?
Land required to feed 1 person for 1 year:
Vegan: 1/6th acre
Vegetarian: 3x as much as a vegan
Meat Eater: 18x as much as a vegan
- HUMANITY -
- 414 billion dollars in externalized cost from animal agriculture.
- 80% of antibiotic sold in the US are for livestock.
- Worldwide, humans drink 5.2 billion gallons of water - cows drink 45 billion gallons of water.
- Worldwide, humans eat 21 billion pounds of food each day - eat 135 billion pounds of food each day.
- We are currently growing enough food to feed 10 billion people.
- 82% of starving children live in countries where food is fed to animals, and the animals are eaten by western countries.
- Worldwide, at least 50% of grain is fed to livestock.
- 15x more protein on any given area of land with plants, rather than cows.
- A person who follows a vegan diet produces the equivalent of 50% less carbon dioxide, uses 1/11th oil, 1/13th water, and 1/18th land compared to a meat-lover for their food.
“THIS IS GREAT NEWS! IT MEANS, WE REALLY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. JOIN #MEATFREEMONDAYcanarias”
How to Enjoy Meat Free Mondays
Going meat free on a Monday doesn’t have to be a crazy big lifestyle change. It is something as simple as replacing a grilled chicken breast with half a roasted aubergine or using beans and lentils to make a burger instead of minced meat. These tasty adaptations to our favourite meals are easier than you think and in the long run will not only have a positive effect on the environment but also your pocket. Eating meat is expensive, especially if you want to eat quality cuts of meat, so by opting out of a meat based diet at least for one day of the week will help you save pennies as well as stay healthy.
Meat Free Mondays at Canary Islands Green
recourses
- We will soon provide you with a Tenerife Vegan Eating Guide so you can explore some amazing cuisine!
- Source: all info was collected from Cowspiracy – The Sustainability Secret that you can watch on Netflix.
- Read up more on Cowspiracy/facts where you find all studies, science articles
- For quick overview, check out Cowspiracy’s Infographic!
- Questions? Write to us anytime! We have a vegan chef and nutritionist on our team or shoot us a message on any of our social media platforms or contact us here.
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