Greetings everyone, my name is Shriditi Raj and today I will be telling you about my action course to conserve biodiversity and environment.
When you hear environmental protection starts from home and within you, I’ll tell you it really does.
In the year 2020, I came across the phenomenon of Veganism, and learned how through this simple means of pledging to use animal-cruelty free and plant based food, clothing and lifestyle products I was doing the most. The meat and dairy industry today have rolled out as the most exploitative forms of production under the capitalist gimmick. The compulsion to mass produce has led to mass rearing of animals, torturous and exploitative means to continue breeding them in unnatural settings and keep cattle lactating through artificial drugs and finally slaughtering them for nothing but our greedy means. This has all put a huge question mark to the ethicality of conducting business today as well as given rise to extreme environmental conditions. 51% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from animal agriculture industry. 60% of all species extinction is due to livestock farming. Even the feeding and rearing of these animals is unsustainable as 80% of the world’s soybean crops are fed to livestock. 50% of grains produced worldwide are given to livestock animals. 75% of worlds agricultural area is used for grazing livestock animals and growing their crops, and not for growing food for people who live in scarcity today. Moreover, despite the huge investment livestock food provides only 18% of global calorie supply as compared to 82% from plant-based food. Finally, the cause of the very pandemic this year and its preceding ones - all have traced a similar origin to them: coercive, filthy means of animal rearing and consumption.
What did it cost me to turn Vegan? Nothing at all, because without realizing for a lot of us our daily consumption is vegan. A staple Indian diet calls for simple rice, dal, vegetables and salad and don’t be surprised - all of this is vegan. Brands for lifestyle today have turned to a cruelty free means of production themselves and so my shopping basket has not had to face a crunch either! So, while for some a vegan diet might call for some avocado toast and almond latte every morning, yours can call for some simple roti-vegetables and you’re still vegan! You are only ever cutting down on your meat and dairy production, but what you’re adding to is a better environment, cleaner air, reducing food crunch for so many people by clearing land previously used for cattle rearing and converting that into food cultivable land, cleaning water bodies and finally protecting and fostering the lives of innocent animals.
This has been my action course and my idea that I wish to pass on to people who feel they are insufficient in doing much for their environment. Because just as veganism has enlightened my world, I wish for people all across the globe to also find this sustainable and on the go means to living as their way of doing their part for the Earth!
Name of Presenter: Shriditi Raj
Age:19 Country Selection: India (North)
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