Can Vegetarianism Save The Planet? It’s a simple question with no easy answer. Animal raising – the time, effort and resources needed to nurture them for food are far above that of vegetables. There are more things to think about than just resources though, and some vegetable products such as soy can have the opposite effect. But, in an overcrowded world where resources are sacred, we must look at what would happen if we reduced our animal intake.

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Can Vegetarianism Save the Planet Infographic

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The Water Footprint of Different Foods

infographic-can-vegWater Footprint of Foods Compared

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The Health effects of vegetarianism

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Livestock Industry Footprint

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Sources

Audsley E, Brander M, Chatterton J, Murphy-Bokern D, Webster C and Williams A (2009). How Low Can We Go? An Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the UK Food System and the Scope to Reduce Them by 2050. WWF-UK. Gerber P J, Steinfeld H, Henderson B, Mottet A, Opio C, Dijkman J, Falcucci A and Tempio G (2013). Tackling Climate Change Through Livestock – A Global Assessment of Emissions and Mitigation Opportunities. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome. Mekonnen M, Hoekstra A (2010). The Green, Blue and Grey Water Footprint of Farm Animals and Animal Products, Value of Water Research Report Series No. 48, UNESCO-IHE, Delft, the Netherlands. Mekonnen M, Hoekstra A (2012). A Global Assessment of the Water Footprint of Farm Animal Products, Ecosystems, 15: 401-415. Scarborough P, Appleby P, Mizdrak A, Briggs A, Travis R, Bradbury K and Key T (2014). Dietary Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Meat-eaters, Fish-eaters, Vegetarians and Vegans in the UK, Climate Change, 125: 179-192. Schlink A C, Nguyen M L, and Viljoen G J (2010). Water Requirements for Livestock Production: A Global Perspective, Rev. Sci. Tech. Off. Int. Epiz., 29(3), 603-619. Smil V (2013). Should We Eat Meat? (John Wiley & Sons). Stehfest E, Bouwman L, van Vuuren D P, den Elzen M G J, Eickhout B, and Kabat P (2009). Climate Benefits of Changing Diet, Climate Change, 95:83-102. How Safe Is Eating Meat? – bbc.co.uk Trends in Global CO2 Emissions, 2013 Report – edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu How to Feed the World in 2050 – fao.org Tackling Climate Change Through Livestock – fao.org What’s Feeding Our Food? – foe.co.uk Red Meat and the Risk of Bowel Cancer – nhs.uk Protein: Page 3 – nutrition.org.uk Number of UK Vegetarians – vegsoc.org 3.4 Availability and Changes in Consumption of Animal Products – who.int

References

http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/resources/en/publications/tackling_climate_change/index.htm http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/3_foodconsumption/en/index4.html http://www.edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/news_docs/pbl-2013-trends-in-global-co2-emissions-2013-report-1148.pdf https://www.dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/bitstream/1826/6503/1/How_Low_can_we_go-Report-2009.pdf https://www.vegsoc.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=753
http://www.dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/AnimalProductionMaterials/StehfestClimate.pdf http://www.dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/AnimalProductionMaterials/StehfestClimate.pdf http://www.dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/AnimalProductionMaterials/StehfestClimate.pdf https://www.dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/bitstream/1826/6503/1/How_Low_can_we_go-Report-2009.pdf http://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D9643.PDF http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Mekonnen-Hoekstra-2012-WaterFootprintFarmAnimalProducts.pdf http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Report-48-WaterFootprint-AnimalProducts-Vol1.pdf http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Report-48-WaterFootprint-AnimalProducts-Vol1.pdf http://www.waterfootprint.org/Reports/Report-48-WaterFootprint-AnimalProducts-Vol1.pdf http://www.foe.co.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/livestock_impacts.pdf http://www.foe.co.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/livestock_impacts.pdf http://www.download.springer.com/static/pdf/694/art%253A10.1007%252Fs10584-014-1169-1.pdf?auth66=1409735812_4d7b8db88d9a49f5466f8b5b3f139cc8&ext=.pdf http://www.download.springer.com/static/pdf/694/art%253A10.1007%252Fs10584-014-1169-1.pdf?auth66=1409735812_4d7b8db88d9a49f5466f8b5b3f139cc8&ext=.pdf http://www.dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/banr/AnimalProductionMaterials/StehfestClimate.pdf http://www.assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/how_low_can_we_go.pdf http://www.nutrition.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=259&Itemid=214124&limitstart=2 http://www.download.springer.com/static/pdf/694/art%253A10.1007%252Fs10584-014-1169-1.pdf?auth66=1409735812_4d7b8db88d9a49f5466f8b5b3f139cc8&ext=.pdf http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/red-meat.aspx http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28797106 http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3437e/i3437e.pdf http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/wsfs/docs/expert_paper/How_to_Feed_the_World_in_2050.pdf https://www.dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/bitstream/1826/6503/1/How_Low_can_we_go-Report-2009.pdf

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