The New Revolution for Survival

The New Revolution for Survival 

The industrial revolution for all its amazing technology and inventions has brought us to the edge of a precipitous point where extinction of life for mankind is inevitable.
Here are a few of the outcomes that threaten our survival from Doughnut Economics perspectives:
Climate change
Ocean acidification
Chemical pollution
Nitrogen and phosphorus loading
Freshwater withdrawals
Land conversion
Biodiversity loss
Air pollution
Ozone layer depletion
All all these factors above show no signs of reduction but without changes in our behaviour will continue getting worse.
The fact that our economies and our use of resources are determined by international corporations and other organisations relying on remitting Economic growth for profit means that no government action will dampen the influence as they are powerful lobbying bodies across the world.

In my opinion only you and I and the entire world population can make the changes to correct this inevitable route to disaster.

In my opinion again, there is only one effective and practical way that the problem can be addressed by us. A new revolution led by all people across the world. It is it has already been established and is growing and takes many forms but one of the key players is The Food Revolution Network .

We are all free to make choices with regard to our lifestyles, what we consume and what we support. What we choose to eat, what we put at the end of our fork is the most powerful weapon to reverse the damage that the Industrial Revolution has brought upon the world and this planet.

Here are some of the facts that relate to our insatiable appetite for a diet rich in meat, dairy, fish, and poultry.

Of the nine factors mentioned above that our leading us to our extinction, five of these factors could be totally changed by us making a simple choice of what to eat, specifically by mankind reducing the consumption of animal-based food, moving more towards a whole plant-based food diet. This might include plant based meat substitutes, although highly processed they would still reduce animal food demand and be healthier for us than eating factory farmed meat.

Taking each factor in turn this is how such a shifting eating habits would benefit all of us and the planet.
Climate change : the production of animal-based food throughout the world accounts for more carbon dioxide emissions than all the emissions from all forms of transport.
Nitrogen and phosphorus loading: millions of tons of fertiliser are used for the production of feed for livestock, this would be reduced to very low levels if agriculture production was primarily for human consumption.
Freshwater withdrawals: livestock production uses the greatest water supply compared with human consumption and industrial consumption. It has been estimated that it requires 1000 gallons of water to produce a quarter pound of beef, 500 to 1000 gallons of water for 2 pints of milk.
Land conversion: up to 3/4 of the world’s rainforest have been destroyed for growing crops to feed animals or as grazing land. Intensive grazing also has reduced the viability of good agricultural land.
Biodiversity loss: The destruction of natural habitats or pollution from intensive livestock farming has accounted for 75% reduction of species over the past century.

If if the impact of eating a diet rich in animal food was restricted to just the above that would be sufficient reason to reflect on our need for meat and animal based foods in our diet, but far more important, a reduction in our consumption of animal products would have a profound effect on all chronic disease diseases including heart disease, strokes, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, obesity, and more. In addition three quarters of all antibiotics are fed not to humans but to animals, leading to increasing antibiotic resistance of many infective agents putting this life saving medicine at risk.
Perhaps we need also to reflect on our ability to ignore the fact that we are intimately a part of the natural environment and our need to respect all life will be essential for a healthy planet and healthy lives. We have been treating the planet as a large factory there for us to use however we choose and with whatever damage we may do to it.
So what we decide to put on the end of our fork next time we sit down to eat will have profound effect on all the above, something to reflect upon!

References:
Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth
Www.doughnuteconomics.org
The Food Revolution Network
 Www.foodrevolution.org