{"id":6888,"date":"2016-06-13T12:13:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-13T12:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.p4.greenpeace.org\/post\/take-the-better-eating-challenge\/"},"modified":"2021-12-01T13:52:48","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T12:52:48","slug":"take-the-better-eating-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/6888\/take-the-better-eating-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Take the better eating challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s back! Today is #WorldMeatFreeDay,<\/a> a great time to think about how the everyday choices we make about the food we eat can<\/a> impact our health and the health of the planet.<\/p>\n

From deforestation<\/a> to water pollution and climate change, the mark that industrial animal agriculture<\/a> leaves on the environment is huge.<\/p>\n

Globally, livestock production is responsible for around 14% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions<\/a> \u2013 that’s about the same as emissions from all road vehicles on the planet.<\/p>\n

Animal agriculture is the largest source of the most powerful greenhouse gasses: methane and nitrous oxide. On top of that, growing crops for animal feed, especially soy, results in the deforestation of rainforests, releasing yet more CO2.<\/p>\n

\"Cattle

White Park Cattle in animal park Arche Warder.<\/p><\/div>\n

There is now overwhelming evidence<\/a>, that we can’t possibly avoid catastrophic climate change if we don’t address the impact of high levels of meat consumption. We are already living beyond our planetary means. Feeding a growing and more affluent global population of at least nine billion by 2050 simply isn’t possible unless we make some changes.<\/p>\n

We need a \u201cless is better\u201d approach to meat eating. That’s where World Meat Free Day can make a difference; by raising awareness of how simple, small changes can start to have a positive global influence. The World Meat Free Day<\/a> website has a sustainability calculator<\/a> that shows how meat-free meals can have an immediate impact on carbon emissions and water usage.<\/p>\n

If 10,000 people go meat free for just one day, they save:<\/p>\n