Veganuary

In 2014, two British friends concerned about animal, environmental, health, and climate well-being started a movement to encourage people to learn and think more about the issues and take action to make positive change.

Veganuary invites everyone to try a vegan diet for the month of January. That's it. Try it.

 

If you sign up at https://veganuary.com/en-us/ you'll get lots of support including information, recipes, instructions, and updates. If you are part of a school or organization, there are even toolkits to help encourage others to participate.

 

As Jonathan Foley notes in Fixing Food's Big Climate Problem,

The environmental impacts of the food system are enormous. The food system’s giant footprint makes it the largest driver of habitat and biodiversity loss on Earth. Nothing else comes close. The food system is also by far the biggest user of water on Earth, siphoning off around 70% of the world’s water withdrawals. (This figure climbs to an astonishing ~85% if you consider “consumptive” use, where water withdrawals are not returned to the same watershed.) It is also the most pronounced water polluter worldwide, mainly due to fertilizer runoff that has more than doubled the flows of nitrogen and phosphorus through the Earth’s watersheds and ecosystems. This has led to heavily polluted rivers, lakes, and coastal ecosystems across the planet.

Beyond its massive impacts on land, water, and ecosystems worldwide, the food system also contributes to climate change. ... According to the IPCC and other sources, direct emissions from food, agriculture, and land use release around 22% of the world’s greenhouse gases. That’s roughly equivalent to the emissions from the electricity or industry sector – yet food-related emissions still get far less attention from policymakers, investors, philanthropists, and activists.

Everyone who takes part receives daily emails that offer meal ideas, recipes, and lots of information to remind us of the importance of what we eat.You can join a worldwide community of individuals all exploring veganism together as a means of improving their own health, protecting animals, or reducing their impact on the planet. It is a wonderfully inspiring community, which offers support, advice, and friendship. Join here.