How could veganism change the world?

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Published 2018-11-27

Interest in vegan food and its associated health benefits has been booming across the rich world. A global retreat from meat could have a far-reaching environmental impact.

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By 2050 the world's population could approach 10 billion - and around 60% more food could be needed to feed everyone. The environmental impacts of the food system are daunting its responsible for about a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions and uses about 70% of all freshwater resources, and it occupies about 40% of the Earth's land surface.

Food rated emissions could increase to 50 percent by 2050 and fill up the total emissions budget that we have in order to avoid dangerous levels of climate change.

Interest in vegan food has been booming across the rich world. A major study has put the diet to the test - analyzing an imagined scenario in which the world goes vegan by 2050. If everybody went vegan by 2050 we estimated that food-related greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 3/4.

Cows are the biggest emission contributors. Bugs in their digestive system produce methane and deforestation for their pasture releases carbon dioxide - these gases warm the planet. If cows were a country, they'd be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter.

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All Comments (21)

@ufosrus 5 years ago

People don't realize that you lose the taste for meat when you go vegan. Somehow our taste buds change and all plant foods taste better than ever.
@ImprovingAbility 5 years ago

there need to be more videos like this from traditional media
@veganfromvenus 5 years ago

6 years vegan. My blood work is perfect. My blood pressure is perfect. Humanity needs to move forward and save the animals and planet.
@nebucadnesarsdream1 5 years ago

The future is to treat the nature well.
@ramraghuwanshi2562 5 years ago

I dont know how it's tough to be vegetarian.. I am indian my family is vegetarian since tens of generations
@Lindasyl 5 years ago

Finally, a reputable source that doesn't leave out animal agriculture impacting global warming.
@waterfallsdontsaymeow2917 5 years ago

I'm so glad this is finally being talked about
@tyler71717 1 year ago

It's not about climate change, or pollution, it's about abolishing the cruel treatment of animals.
@thegerda9030 5 years ago

But if you really can't go vegan or vegetarian, make all the small steps you can. Those help a lot too!
@bonumonu5534 5 years ago

If anything my cooking skills leveled up tremendously when I went vegan 👌
@Vkush_MidWest 5 years ago

Vegan for 3 years now! I thank you all others vegans and salute you for being compassionate and intelligent citizens of this planet.
@Anoronix 4 years ago

I’ve been a vegetarian since I was in 4th grade, I’ve never been able to make it to become a vegan, but I’m proud that I’ve been a vegetarian for 7 years.
@dannyspitzer1267 5 years ago

If you told me 15 years ago that I would end up being vegan, I would have told you that you were crazy....Now here I am vegan for a number of years and would never go back... thanks for the video
@kindregardskatie 5 years ago

"The only difference is there is no blood on the floor" ❤💚❤💚❤
@swisstrader 4 years ago

The amazing thing for me as a new vegan is never feeling food comas anymore and my body actually feeling like it’s thanking me each time I put a piece of fruit or veggies in my body. Still surprises me.
@Tunawesmake 4 years ago

Valid concerns for our world. I wonder why meatless burgers are more expensive if veganism is being sold as using less resources to produce? If you look at low income groups where starvation is real, plant protein have always been cheaper. Commercialisation models that make it more expensive are self defeating to this cause.
@humanityisislam 5 years ago

I had a very heated argument with a Vegan couple of years back, almost a physical fight, never spoke or saw that person again but that led me to watch Gary Yourofsky's greatest speech and I who once was killing animals(cows, goats, lambs) every year on a Islamic ritual(Eid ul Adha) and my whole family became Vegan with in days. It's the greatest decision I have ever taken in my life, we still eat the same pakistani style food but everything's vegan now, the only regret is if someone had criticised me for my choices earlier and I would have become Vegan much earlier and the cries, screams, tears and pain in the last moments of animals I killed, still haunt me to this day :(
@HaydenPeddle 5 years ago

It took only about 2 weeks of me going vegan before I literally had zero cravings for meat. Now I think I’d actually be sick to my stomachs if I ate meat. I’m so happy that the little change I made makes such a big difference in the world!
@mahendraseervi3667 2 years ago

Indias state rajasthan population is 80 million... His 75% population is fully vegetarians.. I proud my state rajasthan or I proud I am fully vegetarian ❤️🙏🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
@anunthornvinij61 4 years ago

Vegan for almost 10 years in Thailand. Just like riding bicycle, its very easy when u get used to it. It's great for your mind and soul.