SCI 207 Our Dependence On The Environment ✓ Solved

SCI 207 Our Dependence upon the Environment

The purpose of this assignment is twofold: first, to enable you to explore a term related to this week’s theme of sustaining our agricultural resources; second, to provide your second contribution to a collective project, the Class Sustainable Living Guide. Select a term from the list of choices: DIET TYPES (STANDARD AMERICAN, VEGETARIAN, VEGAN). In the first paragraph, define your term thoroughly, describe how it relates to this week’s theme, and provide specific examples. In the second paragraph, discuss how the term affects living things and the physical world, and explain how it relates to the challenge of achieving environmental sustainability. Justify if the term represents an obstacle to that goal or a technique that might promote it. In the third paragraph, determine at least two specific actions that can be taken to promote environmental sustainability in relation to this term, including actions on the individual and community levels.

Paper For Above Instructions

In recent years, dietary choices have gained considerable attention for their profound impact on environmental sustainability. Among the various diet types, the vegan diet has emerged as a prominent choice for individuals seeking to promote sustainable practices and mitigate environmental degradation. A vegan diet excludes all animal products, focusing instead on plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and legumes. The significance of this diet in the context of sustaining our agricultural resources is paramount, as it reduces the demand for animal agriculture, which is a leading cause of deforestation, water depletion, and greenhouse gas emissions (Willett et al., 2019). For instance, by adopting a vegan diet, individuals can significantly lower their carbon footprint, as producing plant-based foods generally requires fewer natural resources and results in lower emissions compared to the livestock industry. This change not only contributes to preserving biodiversity but also promotes the sustainable use of land and water resources, aligning with the overarching theme of this week’s lesson.

The vegan diet affects living things and the physical world in myriad ways. First and foremost, reducing reliance on animal agriculture lessens the strain on ecosystems, allowing wildlife habitats to recover and thrive (Matthews, 2020). Furthermore, the livestock sector is responsible for approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions (FAO, 2020). Transitioning to a vegan diet helps mitigate climate change, a critical challenge to achieving environmental sustainability. In essence, the vegan lifestyle can either be seen as an obstacle or as a technique to promote sustainability, depending on one's perspective. While some argue that ethical considerations surrounding diet only complicate the necessary transition to sustainable practices, many advocate that adopting a vegan lifestyle creates a powerful shift towards ecological responsibility and plant-based agriculture that supports environmental health.

To promote environmental sustainability concerning the vegan diet, there are several specific actions individuals and communities can take. Firstly, on an individual level, people can advocate for sustainable food choices by choosing locally sourced, organic plant-based products, which minimize the carbon footprint associated with transportation and non-sustainable farming practices (Greger, 2017). Secondly, at a community level, support for local food banks and community gardens can enhance access to plant-based foods for those in need, fostering a culture of sustainability and collaboration (Liu et al., 2021). Additionally, individuals can participate in campaigns that advocate for policy changes promoting sustainable agriculture, thus influencing local and national food systems toward more sustainable practices. By embracing these actions, individuals can contribute significantly to advancing environmental sustainability while inspiring others to follow suit.

References

• FAO. (2020). Greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved from https://www.fao.org/financial-analysis/publications/greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-livestock/en/
• Greger, M. (2017). How Not to Die: Discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease. Flatiron Books.
• Liu, J., Wang, X., & Huang, Y. (2021). Community gardening: A solution to urban sustainability. Urban Agriculture & Regional Food Systems, 6, 1-10.
• Matthews, R. (2020). Examining the effects of livestock farming on biodiversity. Biodiversity and Conservation, 29(12), 3353-3365.
• Willett, W., Rockström, J., Loken, B., et al. (2019). Food in the Anthropocene: the EAT–Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The Lancet, 393(10170), 447-492.
• Springmann, M., Spajic, L., & Biesbroek, R. (2022). The climate impact of different dietary patterns. Food Policy, 101, 102067.
• Römer, M., & Behrens, P. (2020). Consequences of dietary changes for resource use. Resource and Energy Economics, 60, 101218.
• Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2020). Land Use. Our World in Data. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/land-use
• Peters, C. J., et al. (2020). Fueling a sustainable food system: The role of local food. Sustainable Agriculture Research, 9(1), 51-60.
• Stehfest, E., et al. (2019). Options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock and manure management. IASS Publications. Retrieved from http://iass-potsdam.de/en/publications/options-for-reducing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-livestock-and-manure-management