01/18/23 Veganuary - For Our Planet's Survival
Anderson, Phoenix, Harrelson, Eilish, Goodall and many more inviting to Veganuary
- Silverstone: “Veganism is the most efficient method for the fight against climate change.”
Veganuary, a global vegan challenge in January, for nine years already, assists with advice and recipes and provides support to people transitioning to veganism. The challenge lasts a month, but the decision is for a lifetime. For the Croatian version of the Veganuary, Vege Challenge, also already for nine years helping people to positively change their life habits, you can apply via www.veganopolis.net.
The campaign received a huge incentive after the pop icon Billie Eilish encouraged her 107 million followers to join the challenge and she positively used her famous person status for educating on the climate crisis. Eilish, an advocate of veganism and the official Veganuary ambassador, stated: „The livestock sector contributes with more than 60% of all greenhouse gases within the food system. That is an enormous pressure for our planet, but if we replace meat consumption with plant-based food, all of us together can give Earth a chance for survival.”
A vegan diet is extremely useful for the planet. Even though plant-based food production also has a carbon footprint, it is a lot less than meat, milk and eggs. Production of one kilogram of beef generates 57 times higher quantity of greenhouse gases than half a kilogram of potato. Cows release methane, a heavy greenhouse gas. They also need large quantities of water and food for growth, around 4.5 kg of plant proteins for every 450 grams of beef, which are releasing additional greenhouse gases.
A recent study showed that a gradual phase-out of animal production during the next 15 years would reduce carbon dioxide by 68 percent by the end of the century. This one change would achieve half of the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions required for reducing global warming to 2°C by 2100. That is the minimum threshold needed for preventing the worst effects of the climate changes we are viciously approaching.
Along with Eilish, many celebrities supported Veganuary, including Joaquin Phoenix, Sir Paula McCartney and Alicia Silverstone. Joaquin Phoenix who is vegan since the age of three, remembers when he was on a boat and witnessed the caching and the cleaning of fish. He said that violent events motivated his entire family to become vegan. Phoenix led the protests for animal rights and worked on vegan documentaries and also once saved a mother cow and her baby from the slaughterhouse. When he won the Oscar in 2020 he used his speech of thanks as a platform to point out the cruelty of the dairy industry.
Animal Friends Croatia once again invites all to take the first step towards veganism by clicking on www.veganopolis.net: „Accept the invitation, join the many who have already done so, and give a chance to vegan products and veganism. With this move, you will also give us a chance for our survival on this planet.“