Dear (((EveryBit))) Readers,
It’s March. Time to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. Literally “The Green Month”! It’s the perfect time to talk about the environmental impact of meat production.
Did you know a recent United Nations report concluded that a global shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change? The issue is real (and so is the solution!). It was WAY harder to be a vegetarian back in the day, there were no vegetarian products at all (now we have a HUGE variety of delicious and convenient vegetarian and vegan products to choose from), there was no knowledge or a considerable amount of researches regarding this subject (now we have tons of researches, just google it!) and the vegetarian lifestyle wasn’t trendy like it is now, it was actually very polemic! My point is: we have a solution and it is feasible.
In this issue I’m going to talk about some of the environmental impacts of meat production and share a delicious and traditional “Saint Patrick’s Corned Beef and Cabbage” recipe. Enjoy!
A Glance at Vegetarianism: The environmental impact of meat production is terrible, real and extremely scary!
Some of the environmental effects that have been associated with meat production are pollution through fossil fuel usage, animal methane, effluent waste, water and land consumption. The total amount of water needed to produce one pound of beef is 1,799 gallons, one pound of pork takes 576 gallons of water, as a comparison, the water footprint of soybeans is 216 gallons and corn is 108 gallons.
Now let’s talk about greenhouse gases, when most people think of greenhouse gases they think of carbon dioxide, but methane is actually even better at trapping heat in the atmosphere. The EPA estimates that methane is about 20 times as potent as CO2. And one of the biggest sources of methane in the US and worldwide is agriculture — especially cows. The Animals study tallies conventional beef's total carbon footprint at 15,989,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per billion kilograms of beef. That comes out to about 4 pounds of greenhouse gases per quarter pound of beef!
Scary isn’t it? Meat costs way more than you thought, and our planet is paying the price! Be the change you want to see in the world. If you don’t want to become a vegetarian at least try to consume less meat than you usually do, every positive change counts and makes an impact. Be like Saint Patrick and GO GREEN!
Quote of the Month: “If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian” – Paul McCartney.
Recipe: “Vegetarian Saint Patrick’s Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage”, easy, tasty, traditional, delicious and green. It can’t get more Saint Patrick than that! Enjoy. Ingredients:
2 medium onions cut into wedges
1/2 head red or green cabbage finely chopped or shredded
4 carrots cut into 2-inch lengths and quartered
2 ribs celery thickly sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon mild horseradish
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6-8 ounces vegetarian “beef” or seitan
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon red wine or cooking sherry really adds great flavor
Directions:
Sauté the onion in a large, non-stick pot until it starts to brown. Add the remaining vegetables, the broth, and the seasonings. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the “beef,” cover, and cook for 15 more minutes, until vegetables are soft.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables and “beef” to a serving plate and keep warm. Return the broth to the heat. In a small cup, combine the flour, water, and wine. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the simmering broth. Cook and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the broth has thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour the gravy over the “beef” and vegetables to serve. Enjoy and Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Comentários