Plate up for the Planet: June 2023

Written by Jess on behalf of the Creation Care Steering Group

 
When we are thinking about what we can do for the planet, it can seem overwhelming and sometimes there is conflicting advice about the right thing to do, as sometimes an action which benefits one population is inadvertently harming another.

However, one choice which we know clearly has a global benefit is what we choose to put on our plates.  Meat and dairy food production is the leading cause of air pollution in the UK - releasing even more greenhouse gases than planes, trains, automobiles and industry¹! And worldwide meat and dairy put an enormous strain on land, eco-diversity and water resources.

The UN’s report Livestock’s Long Shadow² says that animal agriculture is:

“One of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems’’, and for me, God has given us an answer: "God said ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.  And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’  And it was so." (Genesis 1:29-30).

So, this June, we are inviting the Church to find out more and try to ‘Plate up for the Planet’³ – which involves choosing plant-based options over meat and dairy for one week.

This doesn’t mean that overnight you have to change everything you eat. It’s about exploring some new things and making the changes to what we eat to have a positive personal impact on God’s Creation.

If you want to know more, this is a great summary⁴, click the links below. And if you're a church member why not check out our Facebook Group where members are sharing recipe ideas and helpful tips and tricks!

 

References and further reading

1.     https://viva.org.uk/planet/

2.    https://www.fao.org/3/a0701e/a0701e.pdf

3.     https://www.vegansociety.com/get-involved/campaigns/plate-planet

4.    https://viva.org.uk/materials/vegan-for-the-planet/