As an individual, the most important action you can take, today, is to eat a plant-based diet. This type of diet will save hundreds of thousands of gallons of water every year, hundreds of acres of land, and reduce your greenhouse gas emissions as much as 150-200 gallons of gas driven in a standard car. Do not think that your actions don't count, or are just a drop in the bucket, because they DO matter, and when more and more individuals, like you, take these actions, it all adds up and makes a world of difference.
I wrote this book as a way to protect my child's future on Earth. I also wrote this book to inform the public about the issues we face with climate change and provide 20+ practical ideas, actions, and hope, that we - as individuals - can CHANGE this trajectory. Our children's and grandchildren's future depends on the actions we take now.
In high-income countries, it is near impossible to NOT get enough protein from a plant-based diet when we are eating the right amount of calories for our body. We don't need nearly as much protein as we think we do. Your average healthy woman needs 50-60 grams of protein/day and your average healthy man needs 70-80 grams of protein/day. All of this can easily be obtained from a plant-based diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and healthy fats. I have a chart in the book that shows how much protein is in each of these items!
The #1 most impactful thing an individual can do RIGHT NOW to fight climate change is to change their diet to a more environmentally friendly diet, a plant-based diet. Changing your diet reduces up to 70% of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that come from your food and saves as much as half the water use from your food. Eliminating meat and dairy from your diet has far more impact than does changing all your lightbulbs, the type of car you drive, or taking shorter showers. One cheeseburger uses the same amount of water as 5 months of 8-minute showers and produces the same amount of emissions as driving a standard car 20 miles. A vegan-burger on the other hand saves 90% of that water and emissions, AND, it is better for your health. Plant-based diets prevent many chronic diseases including (heart disease, kidney disease, colon cancer, diabetes, and even obesity).
Because this is a unique book that provides 20+ practical ideas for what YOU - as an individual can do TODAY - to fight climate change. Because this book was written by a nutrition expert who has studied climate change extensively, and how our foods and consumption habits contribute to climate change. And finally, because this book was written by someone who LIVES and practices all the actions she describes in this book and has spent her life working with individuals, educating them and guiding them towards healthier lifestyles and diets.
Protecting Earth starts 1 day at a time, 1 meal at a time, 1 person at a time.
Reading this book gives you information you can use NOW to make a difference. You can start by eating less meat and fewer animal products. You can start by piling more plant-based foods and vegetables onto your plate. You can start by reducing your food waste. You can start by shopping at farmers' markets. Anything YOU can do today, is a GREAT start.