To the Editor:
M is for Meatless Mondays.
It’s not a hard sacrifice to give up eating some other animal, just on Mondays. And probably one of the most efficient means of getting the heat down on this planet. Of course, lots of people have to participate, but you can start now.
A new study from the highly esteemed financial Boston Consulting Group reports scientists have concluded that avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce our environmental impact on this planet.
About half the world’s greenhouse gas emissions comes from food, land use and agriculture. More than half of this is from beef alone. The consulting group encourages investment in “alternative proteins” such as substitute meat and plant-based operations, i.e., put your money where your mouth is.
Meat and dairy production uses 83% of farm land and causes 60% of greenhouse gas emissions while providing only 18% calories and 37% protein. About 56 million acres in the U.S. are used to grow animal feed, with only 4 million acres producing plants for direct human consumption.
What to do? Eliminate the middleman, i.e., the animal. Consume “alternative meat,” plant-based dairy, and the nutritious unprocessed field-grown greens and grains.
You will save your money, water, forests, help preserve cooler weather, your health, and precious animal lives, all by a Meatless Monday. It’s cheaper than buying a Tesla or retrofitting your house.
How about Tuesday too?
Debby Boots
Hilton Head Island
