As we near the end of another very difficult year, it is worth taking the time to reflect not only on the challenges we’ve faced, but also on the progress we’ve made toward the important goal of shifting to more sustainable, compassionate and healthy plant-based diets. This blog recaps the year, with links to many of our blog posts from 2021.
Perhaps the most important development of 2021 was the release of the latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), warning of a “code red for humanity,” and that “time is running out” for us to prevent catastrophic warming.
While the IPCC’s findings are alarming, the good news is that the science tells us we can overcome the challenges of climate change if we take action to rapidly slash our emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases.
A global shift toward plant-based diets is one of the most powerful steps we can take toward this goal. Making this shift would not only eliminate what is likely the biggest source of methane emissions and dramatically reduce levels of nitrous oxide, it could also help to accelerate the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere as we return large swaths of farmland to forest and other natural vegetation.
2021 saw significant advancements in climate policy, with Canada, among other countries, committing to achieve “net zero” emissions by 2050. Unfortunately, climate policy continues to be slow to recognize the importance of reducing emissions in the agricultural sector.
An exciting development in response to this concern is the formation of the Coalition for a Sustainable Food Transition, a group of Canadian environmental and animal welfare organizations (including Earthsave Canada) working to promote a dietary transition among Canadians towards more plant-based foods. During the 2021 federal election, the Coalition documented the positions of the major political parties on food policy and will continue to work to bring this important issue into the public debate in Canada in the coming years.
Throughout the year, we have seen many other examples of progress – with films such as Vegan 2020 and Seaspiracy bringing more awareness to the harms caused by our animal use; students fighting for more compassionate learning experiences in their schools; and British Columbia making the decision to phase out mink farming in the province.
Earthsave Canada hosted our Virtual Speaker Series, featuring thought-provoking talks from experts working to make a difference, including:
- Ginny Messina, MPH, RD, spoke about strategies for going vegan for life, with a focus on key nutrition guidelines to keep you thriving.
- Carol J. Adams discussed the ongoing relevance of concepts from her ground-breaking 1990 book, The Sexual Politics of Meat.
- Dr. Jason Hannan brought to light how the meat industry thrives on public deception, a phenomenon he calls “meatsplaining”.
What might be most encouraging is how plant-based eating continued to explode in popularity in 2021, making it easier and easier for individuals to face the cognitive dissonance around consuming animal products and make the crucial choice to change their diets. Even major fast food chains continue to introduce new plant-based products to keep up with the trend.
Those of us with the information and means to act must do so, and fast.
If you have been considering making a change in your own life, there really is no better time than now. As we said at the end of last year, those of us with the information and means to act must do so, and fast.
We at Earthsave Canada want to thank you for your continued support of our work and wish you all the best for the holiday season and new year.
Photo by Anna Samoylova on Unsplash
