Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Veganism
Key Takeaways
Agriculture currently contributes 26% of all greenhouse gas emissions, the overwhelming majority (more than 60%) of which is contributed by animal products.
Livestock animals account for about 32% of all human-caused methane emissions, a gas that is 80 times more potent at heating the atmosphere than carbon.
Adopting a vegan lifestyle is the single biggest way to reduce our environmental impact, reducing our carbon footprint by more than 70%.
Climate change is one of the greatest existential threats facing the world right now. Through the emission of harmful greenhouse gases, heat from the Sun gets trapped within the Earth’s atmosphere which increases global temperature and leads to disastrous results for the environment, humans, and millions of species around the world.
While most of the discussion surrounding the causes of greenhouse gas emissions is centered on fossil fuels as the main culprit, there is another major offender hiding in plain sight: animal agriculture.
The environmental footprint of animal agriculture
Agriculture currently contributes 26% of all greenhouse gas emissions globally. Animal agriculture in particular contributes to the release of three dangerous greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane.
Among the sector’s overall emissions, the overwhelming majority is contributed by animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs.
Credit: Our World in Data
So we see that our overconsumption of animal products is threatening our environment while we continue to turn a blind eye.
The dangers of methane
Animal agriculture is the greatest contributor to one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases: methane. Methane is 80 times more potent than carbon at heating the atmosphere and accounts for 30% of global warming.
The manure and gastroenteric releases of livestock animals account for about 32% of all human-caused methane emissions.
Unless we make a radical shift in our lifestyle and dietary practices, the environment will continue to pay a heavy price. We must seek guidance from the ethical teachings of Islam and move away from this unrestrained pursuit of desires that is destroying our home and leading us astray from Sirat al-Mustaqim (The Straight Path).
Thankfully, there is a solution. Through this solution, we can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of our global food system and live in line with the ethical spirit of Islam.
Veganism as a solution to greenhouse gas emissions
It is imperative that we change our ways to save the environment and live up to our responsibility as Khulafah of the Earth. One of the best decisions that we can take in the spirit of divine stewardship, is adopting a vegan lifestyle.
Veganism is primarily known for its ethical dimension, however, it has incredible benefits for the environment as well. Adopting a vegan lifestyle is the single biggest way to reduce our environmental impact at an individual level, helping us reduce our carbon footprint by more than 70%.
This incredible change in our carbon footprint is possible because the production of plant-based food is far less carbon-intensive than animal products. Every step in the making of animal products, such as the production of feed and the generation of livestock waste, is much more carbon intensive than the simple growing and harvesting of plants.
While systemic changes such as shifting to renewables are vital in the fight against climate change, veganism holds the key to facilitating this shift. According to researchers at Stanford and UC Berkley, a gradual phase-out of animal agriculture and a simultaneous global switch to plant-based diets would effectively halt the increase of greenhouse gases and give humans the window needed to end their reliance on fossil fuels.
Changing attitudes
While meat and dairy feature heavily in the diets of many Muslim cultures throughout the world, the environment pays a heavy toll as a result of our appetites. And importantly for us Muslims, such diets are not the way of the Prophet (SAW) and his loved ones [1].
And even though many would scoff at the idea of billions of people adopting veganism, we would be apt to remember that societal attitudes towards food are far from fixed. Just a few generations ago, the majority of humans lived on diets that were mostly vegetarian. Five hundred years ago, nobody in Italy had ever seen a tomato. Or just about sixty years ago, no one in China had ever had a Coca-Cola. People are remarkably adaptable when it comes to their food choices, showing that shifts in dietary habits, even on a global scale, are entirely possible.
We’ve been blessed by the Almighty to have been born at a time when going vegan is easier than ever. With the widespread ease of access to fresh whole foods, combined with the fact that several large and small businesses around the world now offer a wide range of vegan products, we have all that we need to adopt a vegan lifestyle.
If you’re ready to make a change and start living green, head over to our global eco-business directory to find vegan businesses near you!
[1] Yahya ibn Sa’id reported: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Beware of eating too much meat, for it can be as addictive as wine.” (Muwaṭṭa, 3450)
