Category: Uncategorized

As a Vegan, I support any initiative that can help to protect all animals from harm as well as protect the environment from further damage. I don’t know if we realise it but just imagine that if humans disappear this very second, the whole ecosystem and most of our environmental issues will disappear. Shocking? Not really.

We live in the era of social media and global trends. One of the latest trends we have seen is the worldwide request to stop the use of plastic straws. It destroys sea life in such a rapid and horrific way (we all have seen the video of the sea turtle with a long plastic straw inside one of its nostrils stopping its ability to breathe).

We have also seen the serious damage that plastic bags produce to the environment (and the harm they cause to animals). There are businesses that are moving forward with eco-friendly bags in order to help alleviate these issues. All of these initiatives are great and commendable. I fully support them. I am also glad to see many people supporting them.

Having said that, I think we need to be honest with ourselves. I will be really honest.

READY?

Protecting the animals or the environment are not fashionable trends just because Leo Di Caprio is on board. This isn’t about posting a selfie with our eco-friendly straw or drinking from a bottle to let everyone know that we support the initiative but at the same time leaving all our rubbish or bottles behind when we lime at the beach. But hey, we don’t use plastic straws…

I said I was going to be honest.

We can buy a dozen eco-friendly bags in the supermarket and feel like we are protecting the environment but who are we fooling when we go and decide to dump all our trash everywhere? From our car’s window, truck, maxi-taxi, bike, bus, you name it.

Just recently, I was visiting Trincity Mall when I decided to watch a movie. After the film, I waited until everyone left and my eyes just could not believe what I was seeing. It was extremely dirty with rest of foods, drinks, pop-corn at every single corner and seat I turned.

People like to say “Well, you know I have children and children make a mess!” Yes? What is so wrong in teaching them to pick up after their own mess? Is it that we lack humility and we think is beneath us to clean after ourselves? Is this is the kind of example we are giving them? The selfish, entitled attitude that we should NOT clean our own mess because someone else will come and pick up the slack we left?

I just cannot understand (and process in my mind) how do we really think this is acceptable behaviour. When the two cleaners came and we started chatting about it, they said this was a common occurrence and that “today wasn’t that bad, there are worse days and if you tell people about it, they get vex”.

Is that how much we love our country? Oh, sorry I forgot that waving the Trini flag and saying how much we like doubles and Carnival shows how patriotic we truly are. My bad.

Sometimes, we are even caught throwing our trash in the street and someone tells us about it. I know, it is appalling…no, not the fact that we are throwing our rubbish in the street but that a complete stranger thinks they have the right to tell us something? The nerve! I find that a good old cuss solves the issue one time, right?

Sometime ago I was in Matura and Toco, admiring the gorgeous nature there but at the same time deeply heartbroken and angry at seeing how horrible we are treating it. There was rubbish at every single corner you can think of. And I mean tons and tons of dumped trash. Even in declines, natural water springs and tiny waterfalls which means, you will have to go great lengths to reach those areas…just for the purpose of dumping your garbage.

I saw a very filthy beach full of trash and bottles everywhere. People complain all the time that those in authority should be the ones cleaning AFTER THEIR MESS. Seriously? We are killing, destroying, and disrespecting ALL forms of life in T&T. And we do it without a care in the world.

Don’t believe me? As I said in a previous blog post, in our country, our very own NATIONAL BIRD…let me type that again…our very own NATIONAL BIRD is brutally murdered for profit. Then, its dismembered parts consumed by those who have no heart or national pride.  There, I said it. As sad as it is, we do not have national pride.

Just recently someone posted some very disturbing pictures on Facebook of a mother turtle coming to the beach to peacefully lay her eggs. Instead she found a violent death in the hands of pseudo-humans that killed her in the most heinous, vicious way. Her guts were swimming inside her shell while lying afloat in the waters.

We can condemn these barbaric acts until the sun goes down. But there is a market for it. There are people willing to pay for someone else to commit these atrocious, unspeakable acts. Their hands are full of blood as well.

Apparently, it is not enough to murder millions of chickens every year or pigs or cows or fish. We seem so desperate to consume animal corpses that we must also touch and destroy the protected species.

We have a problem. We have a serious problem.

We can mention a list of names of those who we can blame for this hot mess. But often times, we seem to forget about the number one culprit. The one who should take full responsibility for his/her actions and is closer than we think…

The only thing needed is a mirror and taking an honest look at ourselves.

There lies the problem and the solution. The ball will always rest on each one of us but is up to us (and no one else) to make that change happen.

We have seen a very positive trend worldwide (here in T&T as well) with regards to taking good care of our planet, after all it is the only planet we have to live!

We see a lot of schools/individuals and organisations involved in recycling materials and minimizing the use of plastic and other harmful elements in our environment.

Also conferences with regards to the serious topic of climate change and how it impacts each one of us individually and collectively. As well as the worrisome impact it has in our whole environment.

Also, there are discussions about the possible solutions to combat this very pressing issue. I believe all these initiatives are great and very commendable. Most of all, needed!

I would like to bring another point of discussion about climate change that often times seem to be overlooked. Very little is discussed about it even though it is one of the leading causes of climate change worldwide.

The big elephant in the room is:

ANIMAL AGRICULTURE

According to the United Nations: “Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems. Urgent action is required to remedy the situation.”

Livestock Major Contributor Of Serious Environmental Issues

Livestock now uses over 30 per cent of the earth’s entire land surface. Let that sink for a minute. Since they have to constantly clear forests to create more spaces for livestock to feed, it is a major driver of deforestation.

If you are familiar with the serious situation in Brazil, you will know that the Amazon, was known at one point of time as the Earth’s lungs. It is being destroyed completely and now over 70% of what were forests in this area have been turned over to grazing.

SCARCE WATER RESOURCES GOES TO ANIMAL AGRICULTURE

No one seems to want to say it or discuss it but the livestock business is among the most damaging sectors to the earth’s increasingly scarce water resources.

Livestock Takes All The Water

As a matter of fact, animal agriculture is the number one consumer of fresh water. Yes, while 844 million people in the world (one in ten) do not have access to clean water and when every minute a newborn dies from infection caused by lack of safe water…

Lack Of Water Statistics Worldwide

We are giving ALL that precious water that could be saving MILLIONS of lives to the meat, egg and dairy industry. An industry that is killing us and our planet.

If that’s not enough, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), global agriculture—leading by livestock production accounts for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Animal Agriculture And GreenHouse Gas Emissions

One of the most shocking facts is a study that took place in 2006 by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). They found that 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions are directly caused by livestock production. These emissions are MORE than the ENTIRE transportation sector.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Directly Linked To Animal Agriculture

YOU CAN HELP REDUCE CLIMATE CHANGE BY THE FOOD YOU EAT

The demand for animal agriculture continues to grow despite all these facts. It is expected to become the major contributor to an 80% increase in global greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector.

Emissions from the production of beef and lamb are 250 times higher than those from legumes, per gram of protein. Pork and poultry are 40 times higher than legumes.

A large amount of methane and nitrous oxide, gases that are more than 20 times and 250 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, are generated through livestock-raising activities.

The Damaging Business Of Meat Production

So even though we hardly talk about animal agriculture as a leading cause of climate change, if we are really serious about the environment, we should be discussing how we could utilize all efforts to combat it and educate others.

Even though recycling is great and no polluting as well (along with so many other initiatives taking place such as limiting the amount of water we waste, energy, etc) the choices we make at the dinner table are crucial as well and impacts greatly in our environment.

Let’s make no mistake. This isn’t extremism. Animal agriculture isn’t a minor cause of climate change. As the UN explained, it is one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems.

Including: Overfishing, destruction of wildlife, deforestation, and depletion of freshwater resources to hydrate livestock or irrigate fodder.

Animal Agriculture Is Not A Minor Cause of Climate Change

THE SERIOUS DEMANDS BY 2050

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations predicts that by 2050 world meat production will have almost doubled. How are we going to deal with global warming, widespread pollution, deforestation, water scarcity all caused by animal agriculture? And at the same time feed 2 to 4 billion more people by 2050? We will not be able to cope with both demands.

The Serious Demands And Challenges By 2050

The statistics are shocking: 70% percent of the grain grown in the US feeds livestock. It is estimated that 700 million tons of food that could be consumed by us humans, goes instead to livestock each year.

Can you imagine the amount of hungry children we could feed?

I would love if the discussion on environmental issues can encompass specifically animal agriculture. As stated before, it is one of the leading causes of climate change worldwide.

We could all help reduce it significantly by the food choices we make.

Imagine how many more children worldwide we could feed and give fresh water so they don’t have to die…

How many more animals we could save….

And how less polluted our planet will be…

The choice is ours…

Go Vegan.