You probably know about the adverse health effects of eating too
much red meat — like the increased risk of heart disease — but
did you know you could reduce your carbon footprint by eating
less of the stuff? According to the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization, as reported by Scientific American,
the production of the meat in our meals causes more atmosphere-
damaging greenhouse gases than the cars and factories of the
world do. Nitrogen- and phosphorous-based fertilizers used to
grow feed for cows have also been linked to increases in harmful
algae blooms in our lakes and oceans. The nitrogen pollution
associated with meat production causes $200-$2,000 billion in
damage around the world every year. It also requires 20-50 times
more water to produce 2.2 pounds of meat than it does
vegetables. Eating less red meat and more vegetables — and even
occasionally cutting out all dairies to go vegan — can help you
live a healthy life and reduce the demand for meat production.
Here are a few vegan recipes