By Kim Jung-hoon
The author is the representative of the Association for Supporting the SDGs for the United Nations and Secretary-General of the National Assembly ESG Public-Private Policy Forum.
The world has so far made noticeable progress toward setting the future in the right environmental direction, and we can be proud of the new eco-friendly measures, technologies and lifestyles that were brought into our lives.
But it’s a little too early to celebrate, as the threat of climate change and pollution still lingers. Every day we come across vivid hints of even more frequent and severe natural disasters as well as an inhabitable environment for humanity in the foreseeable future.
The average global sea surface temperature has already risen by around 0.13 degrees Celsius per decade since 1901, as shown by data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Typhoons, floods, and melting icebergs have become all too common, and these obviously pose significant risks to our lives and wildlife.
Curtailing meat production is one of many effective solutions discussed among experts and activists that can have members of the public proactively participate and show commitment. Meat production is responsible for around 14.5 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, and methane from cows and nitrous oxide from manure are major sources of greenhouse gas.
In commemorating this year’s World Environment Day on June 5, the world needs to recognize how important changes can be brought about by a small step of many — changing what people put on the table. It is also a moment to ponder what benefits would be for producers and consumers if the animal-based protein were to be replaced with plant-based alternatives.
By reducing the demand for meat and instead raising that for meat alternatives, the world can reduce the amount of land, water and other resources that would have been used to raise livestock. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a kilogram (2 lbs) of beef requires 15,400 liters of water for production, as opposed to 1,250 liters for the same amount of tofu.
The fact that the Agricultural Research Officer of the National Institute of Crop Science found that plant-based meat alternatives can generate up to 90 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional meat products adds support to the eco-friendly cause.
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