Intro to Meatless March

When I was very small, my favorite meal was steak and mushrooms. I eschewed all vegetables other than corn until I was well into adulthood. I was a committed carnivore.

Me as a baby

I still love meat. But in light of climate change evidence and predictions, I started to see my carnivorous lifestyle as grossly irresponsible. Our food supply chain currently causes 26 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, but if people switch to plant-based diets, we can reduce the food supply chain's emissions by up to 70 percent (see https://www.axios.com/growing-food-staggering-environmental-footprint-65a6d84e-3188-4b59-b68e-53dfe70a85de.html).

I was never going to quit meat "cold turkey" - after all, turkey is scrumptious. 

Quit meat "cold turkey?" I think not.

But I have been decreasing the amount of meat I consume, by finding vegetarian alternatives that my family members agree are delicious. Going a whole month without meat will no longer be the big deal it once would have been.

These are the reasons I am observing Meatless March: 

• To draw attention to how individuals can fight climate change, and inspire them to reduce their meat consumption
• To jumpstart long-term environmentally-friendly changes to my own diet
• To do something bold and interesting

Please join me on my meatless 31-day journey!

Why March?

For the simple joy of alliteration, that's why. "Meatless February" wouldn't have had the same ring.

Isn't vegetarianism also a healthy, economical, and compassionate choice, in addition to being environmentally friendly?

Yes.