In Our Hands

By Tali Lavie

April 5, 2006

	Forest cutting. Photo: Reuters

Planet earth is warming up and becoming polluted, animals are in danger of extinction, and our lives are in danger, too. How can we make a personal contribution to save the earth?

A few days ago, my aunt announced that she had to go shopping, and she asked for my help, so we went to the sanctuary of the "consumer civilization": the mall.

We arrived to the mall, located a ten minute walk from her house, in her impressive car, which is not really expensive because "the gas is free; this is a company car."

In the supermarket, she packed the groceries she bought into plastic bags and took a few extra, since "it's good to have some at home." As we sat in the fast-food area, after she ate a greasy hamburger and threw the glass bottle she drank from into the nearby trash can, she said that the environmental issue is the most important subject of our time because it concerns our future, the health of our children, the fate of animals around us, and so on.

When I asked her if she does anything about the subject, she answered with a surprised expression: "Of course. I voted for the Green Party."

The facts are known and undisputed: global warming and pollution exist. Every day, areas of starvation and drought expand. Numerous species of animals are in danger of extinction because of the pollution surrounding us. A third of the amphibian population (frogs, toads, salamanders, newts), which existed here before dinosaurs and which survived many tribulations, is now endangered, mainly due to pollution.

Many speak of the severe consequences of the greenhouse effect, which affects animals as well as humans. For example, the melting of icebergs causes a drastic reduction in the polar bear's habitat.

There are various and complex causes for the environmental deterioration, but it is obvious that the choices we all make have an effect. For some reason, it seems that, in fact, the choices most of us make are not associated with the theoretical green awareness.

At the same time as my aunt was telling me about the importance of preserving the environment, she was holding the one-use plastic bags, instead of bringing on the planned shopping trip multi-purpose cloth bags, which are so easy to obtain.

This "revolutionary" idea hit me when I automatically started looking for plastic bags following a purchase at one of the large food-store chains in New Zealand, and realized, with surprise, that they are not offered free to the public.

Instead, multi-purpose cardboard boxes are available free, while plastic bags can only be purchased. The payment is certainly symbolic, but it helps people internalize the environmental damage of this waste. So simple....

Children are the hope

	Children recycling plastic bottles

My aunt also completely disregarded the damage caused to the environment by the factory-farmed meat production industry. This industry contributes significantly to global warming because of its emission of harmful greenhouse gases. Cows emit methane gas. Actually, thirty per cent of the methane gas emitted comes from cattle, goats, and sheep.

Another greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, is emitted into the atmosphere when forests are burned. Vast acres of forests are burned to clear land for pasture, as well as to grow crops used to feed animals designated for slaughter. In Latin America, for example, over 50 million acres of tropical rain forest were "converted" to grazing land to feed cows. Since 1960, more than one-third of Central American forests were destroyed and replaced by grazing land for cows.

Damage to the environment is also caused by the various fertilizers used in the meat production industry, which produce a tremendous amount of nitrogen oxide.

Our water reserves are damaged by factory farming, as well. A meat-based diet uses a far greater quantity of water than a vegetarian or vegan diet.

While it takes only 90 liters of water to produce half a kilogram of potatoes, over 7,500 liters of water are required to produce the same amount of beef, if the amount of water used throughout the process is calculated. Scientists found that a meat-based diet requires 14 times more water than a vegan diet.

Reducing meat production is only one example of a choice we have that can affect the entire ecological system.

My personal hope is that the spirit of change will come from the children. In my cousin's kindergarten, this year was designated a "recycling year." He is three and a half years old, but he separates trash more than most adults around him. This definitely offers reason for optimism. Let's hope that by the time the tiny ones grow up to lead a real environmental revolution, there will be something left to save.

Article reprinted courtesy of NRG.