By: C L Cohen PhD

This article is published by citydebate.com

Miami Beach – City Debate – March 29, 2009 – There are not many vegan newspaper columns or columnists to whom I can turn on a daily or weekly basis. I have found two. Occasionally, newspapers showcase a “healthy lifestyle” cover feature by displaying facts to help us get in shape and stay healthy; statistical analyses; recipes. However, there is not a dedicated vegan daily or weekly column sharing information and delicious foods.

A sprinkling of vegetarian magazines do exist, among them, Vegetarian Times – which has been publishing for 25 years. (The magazine has recently decided to include a monthly vegan column.) As for the internet, yes, there are websites devoted to vegetarian/ vegan recipes. Most include a brief definition of each ism, recipes and comments by bloggers.

Today, people’s personal mantras and our advertising slogans are about ‘living simpler lives, about going green, about decreasing our carbon footprint ‘. Remember FLOWER POWER? – The same back to nature (translation: living simpler lives), organic foods and natural products useage (translation: going green), recycling (translation: decreasing our carbon footprint) mantra was chanted everywhere. The easiest means I know to accomplish these goals is to change to a vegan diet. Your life will evolve dramatically; your eyes will open to what is really happening to people’s health, to the lives of animals, and how eating meat IS the global warming problem. More discussion on the politics of eating in future columns…

Of course the health benefits of a vegan diet are a given. The deliciousness and ease of eating this way are a joy to discover.

I have now been following a vegan diet for 43 years. Wow! You say. How could you?! Isn’t it hard? My answer is NO. Not today, anyway. People even know what “vegan” means today. A top chef in a three/four star establishment knows not only what the term vegan means, may even offer up a couple of vegan items on the menu. (Yes, even GORDON RAMSEY, everyone’s beloved, chef extraordinaire)

This is not rocket science. This is a way of life which does not require a PhD, long hours of study, nor a huge investment of cash. More on the economics of vegan to follow in future columns…

My journey has been filled with humor, inquisitiveness, international culinary intrigues and downright disdain by people I have met along the way. It has thus far been a delightfully delicious global adventure and one, which I would love to share with you.

More vegan politics, answers to your questions, fabulously easy-to-prepare recipes, miscellaneous nibbles coming soon…

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Religion and health are no longer the main reasons why people start to opt for meat-free dishes.

For many people, being a vegetarian is a simple way of saving the world.

"Many people do not know that livestock is a major threat to the environment," said Susianto, a nutritionist and head of the Indonesia Vegetarian Society (IVS).

According to report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2006, he said, livestock production was one of the major causes of the world*s most pressing environmental problems, including global warming, land degradation, and air and water pollution.

"So, which causes more greenhouse gas emissions: rearing cattle or driving cars?" he said.

"This might surprise you, but according to the report, about 18 percent of greenhouse gas emission is caused by livestock sector, while transport *only’ generates 13 percent," Susianto said.

The livestock sector also creates 65 percent of nitrous oxide, which has 296 times the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of CO2. Most of this comes from fertilizer.

It produces 37 percent of methane (23 times as warming as CO2), which is largely produced by the digestive system of ruminants, and 64 percent of ammonia, which contributes significantly to acid rain.

With increased prosperity, people are consuming more meat and dairy products every year.

The survey indicates that expanding population and incomes worldwide, along with changing food preferences, are stimulating a rapid increase in the demand for meat, milk and eggs.

The FAO reported that global meat production in 2050 will be more than double, from 229 million tons in 1999/2001 to 465 million tons, while milk output is set to climb from 580 million to 1,043 million tons.

However, the report says, the livestock sector*s potential contribution to solving environmental problems is equally large, and major improvements could be achieved at a reasonable cost.

"So, that’s why being a vegetarian is a good and cheap solution to saving our world and preventing global warming," Susianto said.

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