At this vegan cafe where I sometimes drop by, customers can enjoy vegan beverages and deserts. The husband who is a barista uses soy milk instead of milk to make coffee and cocoa. The wife bakes dairy-free, egg-free bread every morning. Her freshly baked bread is delicious.
Many people would agree that the climate crisis due to global warming is serious. More and more people are realizing that action to deal with climate change is urgent. Changing our diets can be a powerful “climate action.”
According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization report, “Livestock's Long Shadow,” the livestock industry is a major player in warming the atmosphere. The sector is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, the livestock industry has the problem of the factory farming system. Many animals are raised in a very poor environment. For example, cages for layer chickens are too small. The area which is given per hen is smaller than the paper size A4.
Some people are interested in these issues but think that being vegetarian is too difficult. One of my acquaintances said to me, “I have a dog and want to be a vegetarian for animals. But I get stressed if I don't eat meat just for a few days.”
In the early stages of being a vegetarian, we may want to eat meat. However, as time passes by and eating vegetarian food becomes a habit, the desire for meat disappears.
Another acquaintance of mine said, “I don't think that I can change the current culture of animal abuse even if I become a vegetarian. Isn't it better to donate money to an animal welfare organization?”
Her thinking is understandable. Vegetarians are still a minority in society; and donating to an animal welfare group may be one way of improving the present situation.
Nonetheless, if not me, who will begin the necessary change? If we start making changes to our diet, even though small, we may give our family, friends, and acquaintances an opportunity to think about their food choices and the effects. I also got interested in a vegetarian diet thanks to my friend who became a vegan.
We can learn how livestock is raised and slaughtered by reading related books. In a book on veganism I recently read, the author said she became vegan to reduce the suffering of animals. Just like us, non-human animals too do not want pain. Paul McCartney, the British singer and musician, said, “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian.”
It may seem difficult to change our diets. But we don't need to be perfect. Making an effort whenever we can is meaningful. Eating a vegetarian meal once a week is a good start, too.
If we eat less meat, we will be able to help mitigate global climate disruption and the suffering of animals. I hope more and more people will have courage to try a new lifestyle.