You've Heard this Before: Human Activity is Hurting Our Planet!

Spirit Sunday: 

Yesterday Bret and I saw Chasing Ice by Jeff Orlowski and it was beautiful. It was the journey James Balog, a scientist who set out on a journey to prove that climate change is happening right before our eyes through photographs. Balog and his team from the Extreme Ice Survey placed more than  20 state-of-the art cameras (in total) in Greenland, Iceland, Alaska and Montana to capture the melting of glacial over a period of 4 years or so. 

Most people know glaciers exist because of what I’ve seen on TV, books, etc., but we don't really think about them. This movie brought the glaciers to life right in front of our eyes. I had a very little idea of how meaningful they are, but this movie made me realize that I had NO idea of what they really are. By studying glaciers from the inside out, scientists learn about the air and temperature of thousands of years ago and compare it to today's changes in the planet. Chasing Ice made feel as if I were there – in the cold, extreme weather of the coldest and some of the most beautiful places on Earth.

It was heartbreaking to see ice mountains melting and disappearing over just a few months. I had tears in my eyes and I was in awe.... It's incredible to know this is actually happening as I type this and as you read this. It's serious. We are destroying our home.

 

At the end of the movie James Balog said, "What will I tell my daughters a few years from now when they ask me what I did to stop climate change?" That made me think.... In 40 years from now, when I have grandchildren, and they see the consequences of climate change, they will ask me: “Abuelita, what were you doing to prevent climate change? Didn’t know you were going to inherit us this world???”  

I asked Bret what his response to our grandchildren will be and he also realized something, “Wow, I feel that I’m doing nothing.” 

“I know it feels like we're not doing enough. But that’s not true baby-- we try. We do what we can.... But we can always do MORE," I said.

Living in the U.S. -- in L.A., it almost seems impossible to see our lives without a car, running water, comfort, electronics, etc. It's hard to see us making changes to our life and living with little. I think that if we try hard enough we are able to live with little. We can't be afraid to give stuff up and simple, modest lives.

I think that the way Bret and I eat has a greater impact on the planet far more than what we can recycle, re-use and buy less stuff. I told Bret that I feel that by eating plant-based foods is one of the main things we can do to slow down climate change. 

There are so many reasons I can think of for not eating animal products. It’s not just about our health, animal treatment, or worker's right of being in a safe and clean environment -- but about the impact the consumption of animal products has on the planet!

Please take a moment and watch this 3+ minute clip by Brendan Brazier.

As individuals, the way we chose to eat has the biggest environmental impact on the planet.  In addition to all the significant health benefits of having a plant-based diet, it reduces our carbon footprint more than driving our cars daily!

What we eat either increases or decrease the rate of global warming/climate change. Growing plants for human consumption uses far less energy and resources to produce, while contributing the least amount of greenhouse gases and deliver the most nutrients. 

What we eat probably has the greatest impact on the planet.  "...On a calorie-for-calorie basis, plant-based proteins require less fossil fuel energy, water, or arable land to produce than any animal protein" than growing food to raise and feed the animals people end up eating. Most of the food grown in the U.S. is for animal growth and we get far less nutrients by them an going straight to the source (plants).

Just choosing to eat more plants in your diet can make a huge difference, not just on your body, it's efficiency and wellness, but you will also reduce your impact on this planet. Simply put: eating a Plant-Based diet makes a huge difference.

You and your family, too, can contribute to the well-being of the planet. Take a step forward to improve your live and the life of others globally by just making small changes, initially. Once you make a eco-conscious change you will learn how to live with less and you will also eat less, believe it or not. We all have to start somewhere to make this a better place to live.

This week, try to eat one meal with no meat, or aim for a week free of dairy.  You can do it! :)

Love,

Bea