Beyond Covid-19: Unearthing Utopia in Doom-A Time To Tackle Climate Urgency.

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” 

This thought-provoking quote by author Robert Swan holds strikingly true in the wake of the never-before pandemic “Covid-19”. According to Sphera, a leading company in innovating solutions within the environmental and health sector, environmental sustainability is defined as the responsibility to conserve natural resources and protect global ecosystems both now and in the future. While most people do possess an idea of the basic perspective of environmental sustainability, only a few acknowledge their candid responsibility and do come forward to play an active role in environmental sustainability. We all are bearing the brunt of the Covid crisis in some or the other way hence it is now high time that we start assuming responsibility for the choices we make. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that in a world where millions of habitats are destroyed daily, we have gotten lost along the way.  Only by identifying and addressing the valid problem, we would be able to take imperative steps towards solving it. Indeed, the only way to continue evolving mindfully and sustainably is to coexist alongside nature in productive harmony.

Image by enriquelopezgarre from Pixabay 

Time to Clean up the Environmental Mess: One Act at a Time

On average, one person produces 4.6 pounds or 2.1 kilograms of waste each day. Ironically, you may feel that you have discarded it but the reality is that whatever waste is generated and thrown away, does end up somewhere, be it at the bottom of the ocean or a bursting landfill. Even what may seem as minute environmental torts such as ordering coffee outside can have a devastating impact on the environment. Recent data reveals that 14.4 billion cups of coffee have been served in disposable cups made of paper that is enough to wrap the Earth around 55 times! Did that make your jaw drop? 

Unfortunately, revelations like this do not suffice anymore to shake us from our comfort zone. However, what we require to acknowledge is that by making little eco-conscious lifestyle shifts, we can encourage and strengthen environmental sustainability in the long run. With the onset of one of the deadliest pandemics “Covid-19” in decades, entire mankind has suffered on all dimensions encompassing physical, emotional, financial and whatnot. There have been researches indicating strong links of the virus initially being found in bats which somehow did manage to enter within the human body. According to an article by Daniel J DeNoon, there are at least 39 diseases that can infect humans directly from contact with animals. An array of highly lethal diseases such as swine flu, smallpox, bird flu, and beyond have also been identified to come from animals. The way we perceive, treat and make use of nature has led us down to a path of unsalvageable destruction. However, it is not yet too late. As specified earlier, by making little lifestyle shifts in our day-to-day lives we can restore our connection with nature. Amongst such shifts is switching to a plant-based diet. 

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Meat-Based vs. Plant-Based Diets

Countless benefits are associated with switching to a plant-based diet right from a health perspective to establishing a sustainable bond with nature. Many researchers have found that switching to a plant-based diet has had an extremely significant impact on the environment. Harvard Medical School specifies that plant-based food habits focus on foods that are primarily obtained from plant sources and involve Nuts, Seeds, Oils, Whole grains, Legumes, etc. in addition to the usual Fruits and Vegetables. Nowadays, more and more people are riding on the wave of this impactful trend, however; barely a few are aware of its true potential. A plant-based diet not only improves our health and reduces the risk of diseases that are transmitted by the animals but also enable us to reach one step closer to creating an environmentally stable society. 

A plant-based diet is scientifically better for the human body for a multitude of reasons and it can help us in preventing zoonotic diseases. Researchers have revealed that over 75% of all new diseases are originating from animals. Such diseases are known as “Zoonotic diseases” and are especially more fatal to humans since we humans were not born with an immune system to combat against them. The unprecedented rise in “Zoonotic diseases” has rather left us utterly paralyzed, vulnerable and exposed to new threats every day. Ironically, the transmission of diseases through animals is not merely taking place through the direct consumption of meat and dairy products but also our close interactions with animals. 

Whenever we clear the land to construct the buildings for industrial or residential purposes, we are destroying the habitats of millions of wild plants and animals through deforestation. This means that animals and humans are now living closer than ever and come into frequently either directly or in the form of saliva, faeces, and other bodily substances. Furthermore, there are several animals like monkeys and rodents who have a similar genetic structure to humans that makes it easier for virus microbes to get transmitted. All of these factors combine to form ideal conditions for diseases to spill over. A plant-based diet proves to be an effective solution to these problems. 

A recent study in the journal BMJNutrition, Prevention and Health, found that people who were following Vegetarian, Vegan and Pescatarian diets faced a lower chance of developing extreme cases of Covid 19. Switching to a plant-based diet reduces the risk of such spillover since it not only ensures that we do not directly consume myriad animals but also allow animals to thrive in their natural habitat, away from us for our own good sake. 

Shifting to a plant-based diet can save the environment in incredible ways. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the production of meat and dairy products make up around 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. What is even more disturbing is that meat only makes up 18% of the calories we consume but 83% of land on Earth is used to farm animals and grow crops to feed animals. To produce 1kg of beef requires almost 2000 gallons of water. Shell-shocked? Aren’t you still? The carbon footprint of this industry is massive because not only does it require a lot of resources in terms of farming the animals, but the products must also then be refrigerated, stored, and transported to reach the consumers. Furthermore, clearing land to farm animals results in heavy deforestation which in turn drives wildlife towards extinction thereby resulting in nastily affecting the balance of our ecosystem. 

Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay 

Your life | Your Planet | Your responsibility: If Not Now Then When?

Switching to a “plant-based” diet will reduce the production of CO2 by 8 billion tonnes every year and we could grow our food on a much smaller amount of land. Several prominent personalities advocate the benefits of plant-based diets. Greta Thunberg is certainly one of the most prominent personalities amongst them. This 18-year-old Swedish environmental activist has emerged as a powerful voice gradually transforming into a global movement concerning Climate Change. She continues to encourage people to switch to a plant-based diet to help solve the interlinked Ecological, Climate and Healthcare crisis and mend our relationship with nature. Plant-based diets are now the only proven long-lasting solution to impart nature a chance to finally breathe and recover. As Greta Thunberg aptly stated, “When we protect nature, we are nature protecting itself”.

Besides Greta Thunberg, many more prominent personalities advocate the benefits of plant-based diets. Arnold Schwarzenegger is the latest celebrated personal brands to jump on the bandwagon who is being enthusiastically vocal about switching to a plant-based diet. As of 2019, he declared himself to be 99% vegan at an age of, proving that every individual can make a difference irrespective of age. He has produced and starred in a Netflix documentary ‘The Game Changers’, where he revealed his newly discovered penchant for exploring a plant-based diet. Furthermore, he asserts his only ideal is none other than the most impactful young environmentalist Greta Thunberg who has been urging politicians worldwide to act against detrimental policies responsible for climate destruction. Even, athletes such as MMA fighter John Wilks, have switched to plant-based diets. John Wilks was also featured in the aforementioned documentary where he did spill beans about how the consumption of meat and dairy products are not necessary to build muscles.

There are many more eminent celebrities like Beyonce who have transcended beyond bidding adieu to meat by actively making a conscious effort to consume more plant-based meals. The list of distinguished personal brands who have switched to a plant-based diet now encompasses Zac Efron, Tom Brady, Pamela Anderson, Joaquin Phoenix, and Ellen DeGeneres and counting. They all are part of different industry verticals but the common vision of contributing to environmental sustainability binds them in one single thread. These notable personalities continue to inspire their die-hard fans to follow their footsteps triggering a much-needed positive Domino effect. This does suffice to prove that such a lifestyle switch that may appear tiny but is not can have a huge impact, all one requires is a candid urge to make a difference. If every single individual in the US alone reduces meat intake just by one single day in a week, it would save over a whopping 1.4 billion different animals from being raised for the consumption of meat let alone talk about the other nations.

So, would you care to answer what Greta Thunberg has to ask you,
“what will you do to play your part in saving the environment?“

From the Editor-in-Chief (HM)

The whole notion of “Climate Crisis” so far has been interlinked with deforestation, plastic waste, pollution or E-waste. Say no to plastic, switch to eco-sustainable resources, opt for recycling, be mindful of carbon footprint and zip zap zoom, here we are dealing with an unfamiliar demon in the form of “Covid-19”. No matter from what part of the world you come from, if you cannot support sensible eco-sustainable movements like “The Swedish flygskam”, Soil-healing, being mindful of E-waste at least for the sake of your forthcoming generation, switch to a plant-based diet. Saving the planet begins with switching to the plant-based diet. Covid-19 seems like the final nail in the coffin on anthropomorphic climate change. Those meat-eaters who fail to make inevitable lifestyle shifts by switching to the plant-based diet will trigger an apocalypse predicted long back. It is time to perceive Covid-19 as an ultimate final call. If not then control your delusions of New Normal as the hope of new normalcy will fade away soon, humans will fall back to dust, the animals will emerge as the thriving species on the planet and the flourishing human race will be remembered as nothing but a sheer miserable myth, Period.

“I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?”

Video Source: Alf Steinbach

Is Media Listening?

Story Research Credit @Ritambara Sen