One month of vegetarianism. The meat industry's effect on the planet.

When I decided to try being vegetarian for a month, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect, I wanted a challenge and I hadn't really thought about the impacts it may have had. I wasn't trying to get anything really out of vegetarianism — I was just curious to see what would happen if I avoided meat for a while. But what ended up being the most interesting part of it for me wasn't the physical impact on me but instead what I learned about the larger world: the impact that the meat industry has on our planet.

My Personal Experience

Generally I found eating vegetarian food was pretty fun. I tried new foods based on my long-time vegetarian friend’s recommendation,  like lentil curries, Quorn nuggets and other vegetarian foods, I convinced my family to give a try.

Whilst nothing really matches the taste of the meat foods I'm used to, a lot came close. Even if it's just for a month like I did, trying vegetarian food is really interesting and can have a bigger impact than you think.

The Impact

Now for what I see as the most important part of the experience, learning about how much of an effect on the environment there is when you eat meat. Meat, in particular beef, production has a huge carbon footprint on our planet. Livestock production accounts for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations.

But even worse, It's not just emissions. In order to keep animals for food, we require massive amounts of water, land, and grain. For example a only 400g beef, can take up to 1,800 gallons (8182.962 litres) of water. That's a huge number in comparison to plant foods. Add to that the forests that are often cut down to make pasture land, further reducing the Earth's ability to absorb carbon dioxide, and the impact of the meat industry is made that much more pressing.

Shockingly, if everyone gave up meat just for one meal a week, it would make the same difference for the environment as removing millions of cars from the road for a year. Not eating meat for a month made me realize that something as simple sounding as my dinner has something to do with the health of the planet.

I'm telling anyone that they have to be vegetarian for life. I most likely won't. But for one month a year I will definitely try vegetarianism again. It was enjoyable, I had a sense of accomplishment, it felt good, and I found a way to reduce my personal affect on the planet.

Most significantly I learned this, even the smallest things you can do for the environment matter. So even if it's skipping meat on your dinner once a week or going vegetarian entirely, remember it has an impact.