What you eat impacts the planet

As part of the Centre for Biological Diversity's inaugural "Wildlife Week," Saskia Comess from New York State, USA, observed her fellow students starting to think differently about where their food comes from.

Reducing meat consumption is one of the most important things students (and anyone for that matter) can do to protect the environment.

That's why during Wildlife Week, students at more than 100 college campuses across the United States hosted meat-free events, urged restaurants to provide discounts for Earth-friendly meatless meals, and distributed informational materials.

Many students don't know that our daily diets are pushing hundreds of wild species toward extinction, or that greenhouse gases from livestock account for a greater percentage of global emissions than from cars, trains and airplanes combined, or that a global population hurtling towards 10 billion is driving up meat production and land consumption at an unprecedented rate.

When you look at the impact of meat production on wildlife, some really startling facts stand out. Americans eat more meat per capita than almost any other country, at a whopping 203 pounds (92kg) per person per year.

In the process of satisfying these insatiable carnivorous cravings, wildlife habit has been destroyed, threatened species have been targeted for killing by the meat industry and precious water resources have been permanently polluted and destroyed.

The more I learned, the more I wanted other students to know how their choices directly impact wildlife. Over the summer, I helped design the Wildlife Week program with the goal of making students around the country aware of the connection between meat consumption, population growth and environmental degradation.

My hope is that through education, students won't just look at food and condoms as free perks of college student life, but instead as important choices they can make for the sake of the environment and the planet.

And, hey, adults are always wishing they could have their college days back — so why don't you join in and change your own meat-eating habits?

Saskia Comess is a junior at Vassar College, studying science, technology & society and mathematics. She works for the Center for Biological Diversity as the Population and Sustainability intern on its Take Extinction Off Your Plate campaign. Contact her at sacomess@vassar.edu

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