There are many people who claim to be environmentalists, and we have no doubt that most people do care about the welfare of the entire planet. But in fact, if you are still eating meat, you are contributing to one of the worst causes of environmental damage. Let's look at the truth.

Raising animals for food produces more greenhouse gases than all cars, planes, and other transportation combined.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, carbon dioxide emissions caused by farm animals account for approximately 15% of the world's man-made emissions, with the beef and milk industries being the main culprits.

Also, you can only reduce your personal carbon footprint in half by simply avoiding animal products. Keep in mind that producing a pound of beef requires 13 percent more fossil fuels and more than 15 times more water than producing a pound of soybeans.

Also note the following facts:

Raising animals for food production produces seven million pounds of waste every minute. According to the World Bank, livestock farming is responsible for 91% of the destruction of the Amazon jungle. Farmed animals (including grazing and growing feed) now occupy more than one-third of the land area. More than five hundred nitrogen-pollution dead zones in the world's oceans are caused by factory farming. Even without the use of fossil fuels, our CO2 emissions will exceed the 565 metric tons limit by 2030, all from animal farming for food production.

Obviously, there is no such thing as “sustainable” meat. Compared with animal products, the production of plant-based alternatives to meat, dairy products and eggs only accounts for a negligible share of resource consumption.

A vegan diet is not only good for the planet, but it also frees countless animals from inhumane industrial farming throughout their lives. Pigs, cows, chickens and other farmed animals are experiencing horrific suffering. These innocent animals face unimaginable cruelty: extreme imprisonment, brutal and brutal injuries, and bloody and violent killings.

As James Cameron famously said, "There are no carnivorous environmentalists in the world who say so." If you really want to save the planet, don't just drive a Prius (a fuel-efficient hybrid car) and take meat out of your diet.