Why Plant-Based Diets Are Essential to Averting a Climate Catastrophe

Michael Gribov, head of movement building for Jewish Vegan Life, is the co-author of this article.

In a world grappling with the urgent realities of climate change, we often find ourselves searching for solutions—big ideas that can slow down, if not completely reverse, the damage we’ve done to our planet. One solution, however, is within our reach every single day: changing what we put on our plates.

I, Richard,  am partnering with a nonprofit called Jewish Vegan Life (JVL) where we are leading a movement that links one of the most powerful actions—adopting a plant-based diet—to the critical fight against climate change. If we are to have any hope of leaving behind a habitable planet for future generations, this shift is not just a choice but a necessity.

Because the issues are so critical, I have arranged to match donations to JVL up to $25,000. You can learn more about them and donate to them at JewishVeganLife.org. 

The Climate Crisis: A Code Red for Humanity

The data is staggering. The world’s leading climate experts have been raising alarms for decades, but we are now feeling the full force of what those warnings foretold. Every decade since the 1970s has been hotter than the last, with 2023 marking the hottest year ever recorded. With rising temperatures come devastating consequences: melting glaciers, raging wildfires, longer and more severe droughts, and increasingly powerful storms.

The Middle East, and Israel in particular, is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The region is warming faster than the global average, which is expected to result in even greater instability, with competition over dwindling resources, rising seas threatening coastal areas, and more intense heat waves.

But the future doesn’t have to be bleak. By changing the way we eat, we can reduce one of the most significant drivers of climate change—animal agriculture.

The Environmental Toll of Animal-Based Diets

While we often hear about fossil fuels, deforestation,  the most overlooked yet potent drivers of environmental degradation. The global demand for meat, dairy, and other animal products comes with a heavy price, particularly when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and the overuse of water and land.

Cows and other ruminant animals release methane—a greenhouse gas more than 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. The sheer scale of animal farming means this methane production contributes significantly to global warming. In addition, the immense amounts of land required to graze animals and grow crops to feed them mean that vast areas of the earth’s forests are being cleared. These forests, which act as vital carbon sinks by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, are being lost alarmingly.

It’s estimated that over 43% of the world’s ice-free land is now used for livestock grazing or to grow animal feed. If we reforested even a portion of this land, we could significantly reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and help mitigate the effects of climate change.

A Plant-Based Diet: The Key to a Sustainable Future

Switching to plant-based diets is not only good for the planet, it’s also incredibly efficient. Growing plants for human consumption uses far fewer resources than raising animals for food. When we cut out the middleman—the animals themselves—we drastically reduce the land, water, and energy required to produce food. For example, producing one pound of beef requires over 1,800 gallons of water, whereas growing a pound of vegetables requires far less.

But beyond the environmental efficiency, plant-based diets offer a unique opportunity to combat climate change harmoniously with Jewish teachings and values. Judaism teaches us to be stewards of the earth, to avoid causing unnecessary harm to animals (tsa’ar ba’alei chayim), and to preserve our health. Eating plants instead of animals allows us to live in alignment with these values while reducing the demand for environmentally destructive agricultural practices.

The Jewish Call to Action

In Jewish tradition, the pursuit of justice (tzedek) and peace (shalom) are fundamental principles, and there is no greater injustice today than the ravaging of our planet for unsustainable food choices. Moreover, Judaism teaches that we are not to destroy the world that Hashem entrusted to us. The Torah’s commandment of bal tashchit—the prohibition against needless destruction—calls on us to live sustainably and use resources wisely.

When we consider that 70% of the grain grown in the United States and over one-third of the grain grown worldwide is fed to animals destined for slaughter, the inefficiency of our current food system becomes all the more apparent. In a world where millions of people suffer from hunger, how can we justify feeding grains to animals instead of people? A shift toward plant-based diets helps conserve precious resources and addresses global hunger by making more food available for direct human consumption.

The Time to Act is Now

As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently warned, the climate crisis is a “Code Red for Humanity.” We are running out of time to make the necessary changes to avert disaster. Every day we delay means more carbon in the atmosphere, more extreme weather events, and a greater risk of reaching an irreversible tipping point. But we still have a chance to turn things around.

By embracing plant-based diets, we can make a powerful, immediate impact on the fight against climate change. And as Jews, we can lead the way, showing the world that living according to our values—values of compassion, justice, and stewardship—means not only caring for our fellow humans but for the entire planet.

Answering the Call of the Shofar

At Jewish Vegan Life we believe that everyone can make a positive difference on our planet because we have the power to decide what we eat, and plant-based living is the key to building a sustainable future. That’s why we’ve launched the Shofar for Change initiative, a global call to action for Jews everywhere to consider the role our food choices play in the climate crisis and to commit to a more sustainable way of living.

Just as the shofar awakens us during the High Holidays to reflect and return to our true selves, so too can it awaken us to the urgent need to protect the earth. We cannot afford to wait. There is no Planet B, and there is no practical Plan B.

As indicted above, Iecause the issues are so critical, I have arranged to match donations to JVL up to $25,000. You can learn more about them and make a tax-deductible donation to them at JewishVeganLife.org

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