LOCALadk Magazine
Issue link: https://localadkmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1356268
LOCALadk 49 THE PLANT- RICH LOCAVORE CHALLENGE G R E E N G O D D E S S Author: Wynde Kate Reese According to the book Drawdown: e Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, a plant-rich diet is the fourth most impactful way we can remove excess carbon from the planet. Conservative estimates show raising livestock accounts for 15% of planetary greenhouse gas emissions, although more comprehensive estimates put that number at over 50%. "If cattle were their own nation, they would be the world's third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses" (pg. 154). By adopting a plant-based diet, we could reduce emissions by 63-70%. ere would also be a significant reduction in global healthcare costs, estimated at 30 trillion dollars annually, not to mention a substantial decrease in deforestation and water contamination. In the words of author Michael Pollen, we should "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." At the age of 15 I adopted a vegetarian diet and, a few years later, started looking at the carbon footprint of my food consumption. I realized that although animal products were largely absent from my meals, the distance the ingredients travelled to reach my plate was sometimes staggering. Avocados from Mexico, coconut oil from Malaysia, quinoa from Bolivia, and cashews from ailand, to name a few. I questioned what the planetary health benefit of my plant-based diet would actually be if all those fossil fuels were calculated into the equation. is awareness was a catalyst for my transition to a plant-rich locavore diet. As we begin our Adirondack growing season, I challenge you to increase your intake of local fruits, vegetables, seeds, beans, whole grains, and fermented foods, and reduce the amount of animal products in your meals. If eating a plant-rich diet has this much impact on the health of our global home, why not make that impact even greater by choosing foods grown in local soil? Your commitment will reduce carbon emissions and provide economic vitality throughout the North Country. To find more locally sourced foods within and around the Blue Line, visit Adirondackharvest.com.