The inconvenient 'conclusion'

Well in all honesty, there is no conclusion to this blog or this topic. The problem remains and there are 7 billion of us humans to either help resolve the problem, or continue to make the food system be the worst thing for our environment and the top Global Warming contributor.

I wanted to have this last post be a sort of reflection on what I feel I have gained from this whole experience. I am Vegetarian and I cannot see things any other way, I honestly chose this topic because its something I am passionate about, and I have tried and am still trying to make the Vegan-switch. I always felt guilty about no already being a Vegan (even though this may sound silly to some folks) but what I have gained throughout my research is that I can be just as sustainable -if not more sustainable as a Local and Seasonal Vegetarian, than being just a Vegan.

I thought I knew quite a bit about this topic, but reading some responses and questions from people looking at my findings with fresh eyes really made me gain more of an understanding behind the issues and how it directly affects us. The inconvenient part about this experience is the new found knowledge on some gruesome facts. Global warming and other environmental catastrophes are happening NOW, its something that is already affecting us and is just proceeding as the time passes us, but are we going to change?

I only hope this blog can give others an idea on how to start the change. 

How YOU can be sustainable with your food choices

  

So what can you do to reduce your Carbon Footprint and help the environment? I know this is not as easy of an issue to cover, nor will the solution be quick, but from my research I gathered what one can do in 3 easy ways (in their own way) to help the environment with the food choices that they make....

1. SHOP LOCAL

2. THINK ABOUT A VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN DIET

3. EDUCATE YOURSELF AND OTHERS

Results from my more recent survey, my response.

The first survey I put out I can honestly say that I wasn't surprised about the results. This new survey was different, I chose to write more general questions, no surprise-terms that the person would have to google. I think it drastically changed my results. I had more defined answers, with little to no gray areas. What I discovered was that a lot of people aren't knowledgeable about what the Vegan lifestyle is, but knew it had something to deal with the environment and that it is connected.
Another shocking result was that a lot of people don't really know where their food comes from (71.3% of the people who took my survey didn't know), which is sadly true nonetheless.
I did see a response to a question about being able to change what you eat if you had the knowledge about what actually is going on behind that packaged  meat sitting in your freezer.
A person responded that people aren't always economically stable, and may not have a choice on what they eat. I understand that, I really do, but in some cases it all depends on where you look for your products. Meat in particular is a pretty expensive product.The average cost of beef has risen $1 per pound since 2007, and prices for cattle have increased to 25% (Gannett, 2013.) Since Vegetarians and Vegans do not eat beef or other meat, you eliminate that cost. As for organic produce and locally grown products? Majority of the times you see the pricing is when its compared directly to the 'low-cost' 'just as good for you' alternative, am I right? That's the strategy for the companies, making you see how expensive it costs to be good the the environment, and continue to by their product.
Farmers markets?
This link above just shows some of the pricing differences. But here's more to think about...

You must look at things in a larger picture; like for example... The cost of gas it takes to drive to the grocery store? Just something to think about..

Sources:

"Are the Farmers Markets Really More Expensive? — Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance." Are the Farmers Markets Really More Expensive? — Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2013.

Farmers markets! Direct price differences, in Seattle. **** (4 stars) 

"Rising Beef Prices Worry Producers." USA Today. Gannett, n.d. Web. 13 Aug. 2013.

Discussing the increase of prices within the last few years. **** (4 stars)

More into the problem

As for the environment, the food system plays possibly the largest role in environmentally-related issues. Factory farm is a term used to describe large companies that have industrialized and confined the "farms" that are more revolved around the profit. “Industrial livestock production is the fastest growing form of animal farming, responsible for 43% of the world’s meat in 1996, up from 37% in the period 1991-93. This includes half of the world’s total pigmeat and poultry meat, 10% of all beef and sheep meat and two-thirds of all eggs.” (Per-Anders, 2013) With this popular means of getting food to people’s tables, there is a lot of information left in the dark, about what actions an individual can take to avoid this. But first, the facts… 

There are the three main Greenhouse Gases, which the food system plays that large role in altering; Carbon, Methane, and Nitrogen. 

CO2 is the most abundant Greenhouse gas and livestock accounts for 9% of the overall CO2 that are human-derived, The companies pollute this gas while transporting the feed to the animals, transporting the animals about, as well as maintaining their facilities. 

Methane, the other main Greenhouse gas is produced by the animals themselves and contributing to the facilities carbon footprint. 

Lastly, Nitrogen, is mainly produced by the pesticide usage. That gets released into the local waters, by the action of runoff. 

Poor management of the land is a large factor that also contributes to harming the environment, the land is stripped of its trees and native species that existed before to make room for the building which will house as many livestock as they can shove in. Without the plant life, a domino-effect occurs; nothing to stabilize the soil, thus increasing the effects of runoff  as well as a loss of biodiversity. 

 Sources:

Fritzson, Anna, and Thore Berntsson. "Energy Efficiency In The Slaughter And Meat Processing Industry—Opportunities For Improvements In Future Energy Markets." Journal Of Food Engineering 77.4 (2006): 792-802. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 July 2013.  

Covered more about energy usage, and how the meat industry uses more than other industries (i.e. plant production) ***' (I rate the site 3.5 stars)  

Per-Anders Hansson, et al. "Can Carbon Footprint Serve As An Indicator Of The Environmental Impact Of Meat Production?." Ecological Indicators 24.(2013): 573-581. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 July 2013.

Discussing the science behind how much we emit and what exactly a carbon footprint is, why it matters? This source also goes more into how meat production is affecting the environment. **** (I rate the site 4 stars)  

"Rearing Cattle Produces More Greenhouse Gases than Driving Cars, UN Report Warns." UN News Center. UN, 29 Nov. 2006. Web. 13 Aug. 2013.

Percentages on the effects of the meat industry on the environment -exactly what I was looking for during my research! ***** (5 stars)


 
 

New Survey!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7ZKNFRX

This link above is for a new survey regarding my blog topic, I would appreciate the feedback.
Thank you!

The ecological footprint of food

As I'm continuing my research rather than narrowing my topic, I feel as if its expanding into something more.
My ultimate focus on Veganism is how it will help the environment, but as I continue I am realizing that there is so much more to it. Veganism  is a way to lower that ecological footprint, but there are still ways that your impact on the environment can still be negative, even with this lifestyle.


Local seasonal foods has been proven to be nearly as beneficial, if not greater in aiding the environment. The amount of energy and other non-renewable resources needed to transport the food (particularly the livestock) from the farm, to the store, to your table, is significantly large.
In an ideal world we may think of growing our own food and living off the land, but the issues behind being self-sustained, is that people can focus solely on producing their own food (and forget about the environmental impacts that they may or may not cause.) Some of the issues can be due to lack of knowledge (I know how it sounds but bare with me)
The article I have found has covered a lot about my new (or rather expanded concept) Local foods and Veganism.

Results from the survey

Throughout all my research and previous knowledge and experiences dealing with Veganism, I will say the results mirrored my prediction. People either knew what Veganism is or had no idea. I expected this because there is little information out there, especially with Vegan diet as a defense against environmental issues. And in regards to environmental issues I wanted to be shocked, but felt as if I expected, that people didn't really know that the food industries (meat, poultry, and dairy) had one of the largest impacts on the environment; Global warming.
I think this survey really helped me get a grasp on how people viewed my topic, and I think I can use that towards my research, that there just is not enough knowledge about the topic out there, and there is more to Vegans then just 'PETA' and animal rights.

Survey

I would appreciate if any of you reading or viewing my blog could do this quick survey, just some basics on Veganism and the environment. Thank you. 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TSVCTLM 

Arguments against Veganism? Do some people believe its not helping the environment? Why?

Every initial question has to have at least two answers. Regarding a topic that can hold a lot of questions, confusion, and controversy, it is easy to have a bias. I am a Vegetarian and aspiring Vegan, so that generally makes my opinion lead towards going that route in a way to help the environment. However, I needed to know the opposing opinions on this question.

I discovered throughout my findings that a lot of the arguments against Veganism were opinion based, or unrelated to the environment. So, to stay on point with my initial question, I wanted to express my opinion to why that is; not a lot of opposing arguments on Veganism and the Environment. The few arguments I did read about mainly said it'll be no different; the industry will continue to do what it does and you taking yourself out of the equation (so to speak) is just you not eating what they are providing.

I thought I would do a bit more research on this aspect of my question so it didn't hit a dead-end, nor did I want it to be irrelevant to my initial question...
I realized in my previous research that not only are you polluting while the livestock is being processed, but also has its being transported, and Local livestock is actually just as good as reducing or removing the amount of meat and dairy you eat. So what that means for Veganism and the environment, is that it is just one of the options in reducing your effects on the environment based on what you eat (or won't eat.)

What is Veganism?

Veganism is the avoidance of eating animals or any animal bi-products. This includes meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, honey, animal gelatin, and any other derivative of an animal. Vegetarian, a very similar lifestyle, just excludes meat, and a pescetarian diet excludes meat but allows the consumption of fish. Veganism is not only a diet change, but a lifestyle change... It has been referenced to as a "compassionate" lifestyle aimed towards benefiting animals (us humans included too.) 

My thoughts...

Well for starters, I love nature and our giant blue and green planet, and I intend on pursuing a career that will make a positive impact on Earth for years and years to come as an Environmental Science teacher!

My...Obsession for helping the earth, and all living creatures has been a pretty constant thing. However, I'm not alone. Especially in recent years loving the environment has become a fad, Eco-friendly products, new habits and diet changes, and overall more understanding that us humans haven't been treating our home very well. 

This is where my topic had risen, I am wanting to do research and find out how Veganism can help the environment? 

I have my own opinion on the topic (that I shall share later) but I'm going to start by covering what Veganism is, perhaps differences between other lifestyles (i.e. Vegetarianism), how it is going to help the environment, and why even do it! I'm also thinking about adding how beneficial it could be and how to go about it.

I'm going to search for some documentaries (because I know that there are many) and see what else I can discover, such as online articles off of Google Scholar.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2367646/#b37-ehp0116-000578 this article looks promising  I'm going to look into it more, and I realize I'm going to have to make sure I don't have a bias while looking into the research. https://www.ciwf.org.uk/includes/documents/cm_docs/2008/f/factory_farming_and_the_environment_1999.pdf this one appears long, but I could really use a good understanding of my topic, especially when starting out.