Help cool the planet by going Vegan

The year 2023 has been the hottest year on the planet since 1850s and possibly since 100,000 years, thanks to global warming. Emissions by many nations continued to rise despite renewable energy making progress. Floods in the US (whose emissions rose last year by 1.3 pc), a winter in Kashmir without snowfall (usually around 130 cms), glaciers melting and high temperatures are the proof.

Nations are not doing enough as can be seen by the rise in temperature by 1.48 C, very close to the threshold temperature of 1.5 C set by Paris summit as the point after which the change will be irreversible. Already the fast increasing demand for AI has fuelled fears of a demand for energy, which will largely be catered by climate warming fossil fuels.

There are solutions available if governments, corporates and the peoples are willing. The former two are not in our hands, but as individuals there are changes we can make to our lifestyle that can jointly make an effect.

For example, studies have shown that for every 1 million people who adopt the vegan diet for a month, around 6.2 million litres of water can be saved, over 100,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions avoided, and 3.4 million animals spared from cruelty. Take it to bigger numbers participating, and you can do your arithmetic.

University of Oxford researchers found that by going vegan you can cut your carbon footprint from food by 73%, proving that a vegan diet is the 'single biggest way an individual can reduce his/her negative impact on earth', bigger than cutting down on flights or buying an electric vehicle.

That is one of the ideas behind observing Veganuary where one pledges to go vegan for a month. Veganuary is a global movement that raises awareness on the ethics, and environmental-cum-health benefits of a vegan diet and advocates trying a vegan diet for a month. Usually this is held in January. Love the planet, the animals, or yourself, a vegan diet helps on all counts.

Promoting the idea, a bunch of Bangaloreans gathered at the Alliance Francaise to observe Veganuary and pledge to go vegan for a month. A film show, followed by a unique flowgame and some delicious vegan food marked the event organised by the Ubuntu Community and supported by Power Nest.

According to the FAO animal farming accounts for around 14.5% human induced emissions. Meat and dairy provides just 18% of calorie of average diet but takes up 83% of farmland and accounts for 60 pc of ghg emissions from agriculture, as per the Oxford study. For 100 g of protein from beef, there is 105 kg of emissions from production. In comparison, plant protein production results in miniscule emissions.

Besides the ethical and environmental reasons, a vegan diet has been proven to help in weight loss, improve energy levels, lower cholesterol and reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases. So, why wait? Why not try this diet endorsed by celebrities like Tobey McGuire, Joaquinn Phoenix, John Abraham and others? It is good for your health and that of the planet.

The event in Bangalore began with a filming of the film Okja, revolving around a company's unethical approach to creating hybrid 'super pigs' for meat. The plot including a young girl's close ties with her pig and the subsequent capture of the pig by the factory, aims to raise awareness about what happens to animals raised to cater to the meat industry.

The participants then took part in a flowgame, a process designed as a game to explore and gain clarity on some burning questions in our lives. This time around, the questions were about veganism and how to make the transition smoothly.

Played in a group, the game offers different perspectives on a problem and its solution through the core concepts of reflection, connection and co-creation. The game hosted by Arvind Shivakumar saw many 'aha' moments for the players. In a fitting finale, delicious vegan food from Deepa Nigam's Satvegik cloud kitchen saw the participants ask for more!

The Bangalore event was planned by the Ubuntu Community (nas.io/ubuntuverse) of service-oriented, purpose-driven 'superhumans' led by the founder, Abhinav Ubuntu.