![]() In October, I was lucky enough to hear Jane Goodall speak in person for the second time. The event was the Wildlife Conservation Network’s (WCN) annual conference in San Francisco. The first time I heard Jane speak was at the 2019 WCN conference. This was a very special experience as my dad, sister, and I were lucky enough to meet Jane in person. My dad has a conservation project utilizing technology to protect African rhinos from poaching. His like-minded friend who knows Jane personally set up the meeting. Know- ing how much my sister and I admire Jane, he invited us to join. To learn about the rhino project, visit e n c h o i c e . c o m / S a v - ing-the-Rhino. It was a surreal experience sitting in Jane’s hotel lobby waiting for her to appear. I will never forget that warm smile and aura of peace as she walked into the room. Yet, she looked tired and worn. I wondered how at her age she found the energy to travel 300 days a year (her custom before the pandemic), each day packed with meetings and events. Later that evening the air buzzed with excitement as we waited for the talk to begin. Jane lit up as she walked on stage. She looked re-energized and invigorated. The stage is where she comes to life, so eager to spread her message of love and compassion and change the world one event at a time. Jane is often the keynote speaker for the WNC conference, and she has helped to shape their mission from the start. The organization supports entrepreneurial conservationists who develop strategies to help people coexist peacefully with wildlife wildnet.org. This year the format was a little different: Jane was interviewed about her life and work. Jane emphasized that we must learn to coexist peacefully with wildlife even when we ind it challenging. She spoke fondly of her childhood with a mother who encouraged her curiosity, allowing her to spend hours outside by herself exploring nature. It was Jane’s childhood dog Rusty who taught her the intelligence and rich inner life of animals. Rusty could solve problems, keep track of schedules, and plan for the future. He could communicate his varying emotions. Rusty was not unusual; rather he brought to light the intelligence and sensitivity of animals. It is hard for us to imagine, but when Jane began her research on chimpanzees, contemporary scientists questioned her radical view that animals have individual personalities, intelligence, and emotional lives. She received criticism from the scientific community when she named her chimp subjects instead of giving them numbers. Jane completely changed the way animals are viewed both through her research indings and her advocacy. Thanks to Jane, most of us recognize the idea that animals are emotional, sentient beings worthy of respect. Jane’s advocacy continues despite her advanced age. She turned 88 this year! The Jane Goodall Institute is active and thriving.Jane’s pride and joy is the Roots and Shoots program, which she developed to get the next generation active and excited about wildlife conservation. Roots and Shoots is a youth-led global community From left to right: Lisa Wade, Jane Goodall, and Debbie Parsons. program demonstrating the power of individual action. janegoodall.org/ our-work/our-approach/ roots-shoots When asked how she inds the energy to keep going, Jane replied, “ I can’t stop. The animals need me.” She is building her institute and her Roots and Shoots program to carry on her work after she is gone, and each of us can continue to amplify her work in our own lives. We can choose to view wildlife in more positive ways. Jane calls on us to have compassion for all animals, even those we may consider pests. To learn how to have a peaceful relationship with wildlife such as coyotes, gophers, and more, check out the “Coexisting with Wildlife” Photo courtesy of Debbie Parsons Resource are available at plantbasedadvocates.com While walking my dog the day after I heard Jane speak, I found that I had really tuned in to my dog’s needs. Instead of rushing around the block, I realized that I was letting her choose the way. I was allowing her to stop and smell the roses or whatever plant happened to attract her keen sense of smell. It is her walk after all! Debbie grew up in South Africa where she developed a deep love and respect for nature and wildlife. She is a member of Plant-Based Advocates, a nonproit encouraging people to eat more plants.
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![]() By Rozali Telbis April 5, 2021 Karen Estensen Rubio is a writer and animal rights activist. Her work has appeared in Sentient Media and Counterpunch. She is a co-founder of Plant-Based Advocates (www.plantbasedadvocates.com), a grassroots group working to curb climate change, increase human health and alleviate the suffering of animals by advocating a shift to plant rich diets. Trigger moments in human history awaken us to injustice and turn the tide of public perception. What happened in Waterloo, Iowa may not have been a watershed moment but as far as human folly, it was a doozy. Between March and mid-April 2020, as the pandemic surged, managers at the Tyson Foods plant in Waterloo lay bets on how many employees would fall prey to COVID-19. This, while the brass told workers they had “a responsibility to keep working in order to ensure Americans don’t go hungry.” Across the world, in the city of Guigang in southern China, high-rise pig buildings have risen within Yaji (meaning: Sacred) mountain. These concrete bunkers – up to nine stories high, with a 12-story unit underway – house millions of pigs. From infancy to lifetime confinement to slaughter, these pigs will never see the light of day. Meanwhile, in early November 2020, Denmark gassed and buried 17 million mink after an outbreak of COVID-19 at a massive factory farm – only to have their rotting, gas-filled bodies start emerging from mass graves. Are we in Hell yet, Dorothy? COVID-19 vaccinations are well under way and, despite continuing deaths, it appears we’re finally wresting control from the deadly scourge that has plagued us for a year. But before we resume life as we once knew it, let’s acknowledge an essential truth: COVID-19 and other pandemics are caused by animal agriculture and our reckless exploitation of the natural world. “Let’s acknowledge an essential truth: COVID-19 and other pandemics are caused by animal agriculture and our reckless exploitation of the natural world.” Factory farming is polluting our land, air and water. It’s accelerating species extinction, deforestation, ocean depletion, and global warming. Global biodiversity loss is especially shocking: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Living Planet Report 2020 reveals an average 68% decline in the size of animal populations. A fifth of the Amazon rainforest has fallen in just 50 years to make way for cattle and their feed crops, soy and corn; the same scenario repeats itself throughout the world. “In factory farms, we are creating monster zoonotic viruses that threaten our very survival.” The despicable events at Tyson, millions of incarcerated pigs, and bloated corpses of discarded mink are but tiny chapters in a story of greed and arrogance writ large. Our food system is built on the slaughter of 70 billion land animals and trillions more fish per year and it is killing our environment. It’s also killing us. The typical American diet, high in meat, dairy and processed foods, contributes to a host of “lifestyle” diseases: heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, certain cancers, and more. Many of these maladies are now known to cause higher morbidity from COVID-19. While massive multi-national conglomerates dominate the meat and dairy market and make it difficult to inform the public, the truth is slowly getting out through activists and whistleblowers. In May 2020, Matt Johnson of animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE) filmed hundreds of pigs killed by ventilation shutdown – a gruesome practice in which hot air is piped into barns, slowly suffocating animals and roasting them alive. DxE and other groups are now asking California Governor Newsom to enact an immediate moratorium on all new factory farms and slaughterhouses; the petition can be found at nomorefactoryfarms.com. Thousands of dead and dying Iowa Select Farm pigs subjected to “ventilation shutdown” on May 19, 2020. – Credit: Direct Action EverywhereSo, what are we waiting for? The movement toward a plant-based world is a juggernaut that won’t be stopped, but if we are to save our planet, we must speed it up. It’s the only food system that makes sense for our health – and indeed the survival of all life on Earth. Originally published by Counterpunch Magazine. By Christopher Wade (Note: This article has been published in The Outlook, May 2022. Find it on page 14 here.)
As a kid growing up in Texas in the 1970s, I never imagined I would one day stop eating meat. Living in a state where steak and hamburgers were part of everyday meals and football was practically a religion, I took it for granted that meat was just something everybody ate. Fast forward to the 2020s, and a lot more is known about the health benefits of eating more plants and reducing or eliminating the consumption of meat and other animal products. Many health experts encourage us to base our diets around whole plant foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. Dr. Kim A. Williams, fellow and past president of the American College of Cardiology, said in an interview last year with the Harvard Health Policy Review, “Plant-based diets are associated with lower rates of obesity and diabetes, high quality of life and longer life expectancy, as well as less hypertension, …heart failure, stroke and death.” And Dr. Michael Greger, founder of nutritionfacts.org, says in his recent book How Not to Diet, “...whole food, plant-based nutrition is the only diet proven to reverse heart disease in the majority of patients, opening up arteries without drugs or surgery.” I ate a typical omnivorous diet growing up, and I didn’t really like eating vegetables. Fortunately, my mom always provided healthy food options that I enjoyed, including fresh fruit and whole wheat bread. Looking back on this now, I’m very thankful for my mom’s love and care in feeding our family. She provided the foundation for my lifelong interest in nutrition and health. After my family moved from Texas to California, I played organized school sports including basketball in junior high and high school. I really enjoyed sports, but back then I didn’t fully appreciate the link between diet and athletic performance. Today, a growing number of professional athletes are turning to a plant-based diet to gain a competitive edge, including NBA star Chris Paul, tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, and bodybuilder Nimai Delgado. Paul told Reuters last year, "Playing as many games as I play, ….everything is about recovery. How fast can my body recover? And being plant-based, the recovery changed just like that," he said, snapping his fingers. Delgado described his diet in an interview with Muscleandfitness.com. “There’s a huge misconception that you can’t build muscle without animal protein,” Delgado said. “The moment people find out I won an overall title without ever eating meat, and did it strictly eating plants, they become very interested.” For more information about athletes performing on plant-based diets, see the documentary The Game Changers. Nearly a decade ago, my wife Lisa and I decided to stop eating animal products. At first, this new way of eating took a little getting used to. We updated our weekly shopping list and found some easy plant-based recipes to get us started. After a while, eating plant-based became second nature. At the time, there typically weren’t many plant-based options when we went out to eat, but restaurants were usually happy to make some of their dishes without animal products when requested. In the last few years, more and more restaurants have added plant-based dishes to their menus. A couple of the local restaurants we enjoy include Golden Triangle Cuisine in Los Gatos and Veggie Grill on Saratoga Ave. For a full list of restaurants with plant-based options, visit happycow.net. Grocery stores also now carry many alternatives to animal products that are made entirely of plants, such as plant-based meats, cheeses, butter, yogurt, and milk. In addition, there are online meal delivery companies such as Veestro and Daily Harvest that ship ready-made, plant-based meals directly to your door. Now that I’m in my 50s, I still love athletic activities like hiking, biking, strength training, and skiing, and I have found that a whole-food, plant-based diet is really effective for reducing inflammation and recovering quickly. My goal is to stay active and healthy into my later years, and a plant-based diet will help me do just that. With today’s medical knowledge and the wide variety of plant-based options available in restaurants, grocery stores, and online, there’s never been a better time to eat plant-based. Christopher Wade is an engineer and a Los Gatos resident. A health and fitness enthusiast, he enjoys exercising, learning about nutrition, and cooking plant-based meals. To learn more about the benefits of a plant-based diet, visit plantbasedadvocates.com. This recipe by PBA member, Anita Bora, was published in The Outlook, dated May 2022. You can also find it it on page 14 of this document. Ingredients
FEW REALIZE THAT MEAT AND DAIRY PRODUCTION DEVOUR A FULL 47% OF THE STATE’S WATERBy Karen Rubio
No one can deny that we’re in the mother of all megadroughts. The seven hottest years on record have happened in the last seven years. The U.S. Drought Monitor just reported that 93% of California, including the Bay Area, is in severe drought and 35% is in extreme drought. Last year, dangerous heat killed hundreds of people in Oregon and Washington and nearly buckled California’s power grid. Federal forecasters say that this year conditions will worsen in California and the West with hotter-than-normal temperatures and little chance of rain. So, where is our water going? In the midst of the turmoil over our diminishing water supply, an often-overlooked industry operates without scrutiny — consuming the lion’s share of California’s diminishing water, churning out massive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and polluting our environment with impunity. Few realize that meat and dairy production devour a full 47% of California’s water, their huge water footprints due to the amount of water-intensive feed required to raise the animals. In fact, the largest water-consuming crop in California is the alfalfa grown to feed animals. The third largest? Irrigated pasture — again, for animals. Read the complete article in The Mercury News. By Lisa Wade, Plant Based Advocates Are you tired of spending your weekends mowing your water-thirsty grass and blowing leaves? Are you ready to make peace with wildlife foraging for food on your labor-intensive lawn? Thankfully, there is an elegant way to save time and water, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, noise pollution, and pesticide use while co-existing with wildlife and nature. According to the California Rural Water Association, more than half the water used in California households is for lawns. A native landscape saves money and eases the stress of water restrictions in drought-prone California. Indigenous plants have deeper roots than grass and anchor the soil, reducing runoff and erosion while also storing more carbon in the soil. A native landscape reduces pollution from noise, water, and air. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), lawn maintenance equipment like lawn mowers and leaf blowers generate 5 percent of our country’s greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of constant mowing and blowing, you can simply sweep extra leaves onto your native landscape to provide rich mulch for your beneficial plants, helping to keep your neighborhood quiet and clean. Native plants do not typically require fertilizers and pesticides that are regularly applied to lawns. Toxins from these treatments enter our environment, threatening the health of humans and animals alike. In addition, fertilizers are fossil fuel-based and run off into waterways where they eventually cause algal blooms, wreaking havoc on marine life. Instead of battling to maintain an unnatural emerald lawn, we can work with nature, relying on the wisdom of indigenous plants that are pest-resistant and designed by nature to tolerate the weather and soil of the region. In addition, native plants provide important food and habitat for beneficial insects, birds, and mammals. We are currently in the sixth mass extinction of species, with bugs being particularly vulnerable. This is mainly due to intensive agriculture, mostly growing and spraying crops to feed the animals we eat. However, urban lawns also play a role due to the use of fertilizers and pesticides as well as leaf blowers that blow insects right out of their leafy homes. Insects serve as pollinators for our crops and food for other creatures, and they are master recyclers of nutrients. The web of life is fragile, and we cannot afford to lose vast populations of our insects. Our once-rich diversity of songbird species is also declining. Native plants have evolved to provide the perfect food and shelter for our threatened native wildlife. Although artificial turf does save water, this petroleum-based product is barren and does not support beneficial birds and insects. It cannot store carbon and can leach chemicals into our environment. So how can we create an environmentally-friendly landscape that supports life? Some opt for a manicured look by creating a pleasing and ordered native landscape with wood chips as mulch. Or, some follow the advice of Nancy Lawson in her book, The Humane Gardener, and “imitate natural growth patterns by adding sedges, grasses, and native groundcovers as green mulch among taller plants… The low leaf canopy will provide food and shelter for many species, giving rabbits a place to nest….” A native landscape allows you to truly live in harmony with nature. You can even welcome gophers and moles who play an important role in keeping the soil aerated and balancing insect populations. Gopher mounds blend into the natural-looking environment and are barely visible under shrubs. If you are not yet ready to take the plunge, you can start slowly, perhaps replacing some exotic plants with natives. You could also reduce the size of your lawn by replacing part of it with native groundcover. A few beautiful native plants you may have heard of are coast live oak trees, California fuchsia, golden currant, and purple needlegrass. Saratoga resident and past chapter president of the California Native Plant Society Madeline Morrow says, “ I love California’s landscapes, plants, and animals, and I want the piece of California I am responsible for to nurture our unique flora and fauna.” To get started, Madeline recommends www.calscape.org. “Their Planting Guide is a great introduction to native plant gardening,” Morrow said. “They have useful information for almost any native plant, and places to buy it.” Madeline’s yard will be part of the Growing Natives Garden tour on April 2-3, put on by the California Native Plant Society Santa Clara Valley chapter in collaboration with Santa Clara County Master Gardeners. Visit www.gngt.org for more information. “We’re back in person this year,” Morrow said. “Fingers crossed!” “Biodiversity worldwide is collapsing,” says Los Gatos resident Kevin Arroyo, who organized a project to create a critical pollinator habitat by planting natives on a neglected strip along Los Gatos Almaden Road. To find out more or to volunteer, contact Kevin Arroyo at communitygardenlg@gmail.com Lisa Wade grew up in South Africa where she developed a deep respect for wildlife. She enjoys native gardening and serves as president of Plant-Based Advocates, a Los Gatos-based nonprofit encouraging a shift toward sustainable, plant-based eating. Provides a roadmap to restore health of this critical resource By Debbie Parsons, Los Gatos Plant-Based Advocates Many of us are drawn to the ocean and fascinated by it. We visit beautiful beaches. We love dolphins, sea turtles, and whales. We appreciate how precious the ocean is and want it to remain healthy. Sadly, our ocean is in a desperate fight for survival. This fight is revealed in the eye-opening Netflix documentary Seaspiracy. The film, produced by Ali Tabrizi, identifies the commercial fishing industry as a leading culprit in an imminent underwater disaster. While disheartening at times, Seaspiracy is highly informative and has a positive message—we have the power to save our ocean. Tabrizi begins by tackling a common misconception: that the ocean’s vastness ensures a safe, resilient environment for the teeming life within. Most of us have heard about “overfishing,” yet there are plenty of fish in our supermarkets. So what’s the problem? Seaspiracy reveals that, if we continue to haul our current rate of 2.7 trillion fish from the ocean each year, we will lose most fish species by 2048.
What about “farm-raised” fish? Isn’t that an easy solution to overfishing? Not so fast, says Tabrizi. Farmed fish are jam-packed into netted cages, in water polluted by their own waste, akin to “factory farming” of land animals. Seaspiracy puts a spotlight on salmon farms in Scotland, which incredibly produce as much organic waste as the entire human population of Scotland each year. Moreover, farmed fish are often fed with wild fish, contributing to declining fish populations in the ocean. Seaspiracy highlights another commercial fishing practice called “bottom trawling.” This involves dragging giant trawling nets across the bottom of the ocean, destroying 3.9 billion acres of seabed each year. This wipes out coral reefs, causes complete collapse of marine ecosystems, and greatly impedes our fight against climate change, since the ocean is the Earth’s biggest carbon sink. Seaspiracy compares bottom trawling to bulldozing pristine Amazon rainforest. Tragically, many sea animals never intended for a dinner plate get caught up and die painful deaths in the fishing industry’s gigantic nets. The inadvertently caught sea animals, called bycatch, include over 300,000 whales and dolphins, 50 million sharks and 250,000 turtles in US waters alone. Seaspiracy helps consumers understand the true cost in sea life of the fillet or shrimp on their plate. Seaspiracy won’t let us hide behind “sustainable” fishing labels either. According to Tabrizi, the ocean is too vast for authorities to verify that sustainable fishing practices are being used. Tabrizi illustrates the point by highlighting an Iceland fishery whose pricey products bore a sustainability “checkmark.” However, approximately 269 harbor porpoises, 900 seals and 5000 seabirds were killed at this "sustainable" fishery in just one month. Social justice issues caused by the commercial fishing industry are brought to light as well. There is heartbreaking footage of fishing communities in Africa starving due to overfishing by giant boats from faraway countries, Viewers learn about enslavement of people by shrimp boat owners. We learn, ironically, that the fishing industry receives $35 billion in annual subsidies while the UN estimates that it would cost about $30 billion to combat world hunger. Despite the harsh reality portrayed, Seaspiracy does offer hope for the future. Tabrizi reminds us that marine ecosystems have the ability to bounce back very quickly. The prospect for rewilding our ocean is exciting and attainable. Naturally, there is controversy about Seaspiracy, and pushback in the media by the commercial fishing industry. This confirms the age-old adage that there are at least two sides to every story, especially when profits are involved. Either way, Seaspiracy has started a critical conversation about the future of our ocean. Watch Seaspiracy to be in on this critical conversation. At the very least, you will be an informed consumer who is aware of the true cost of seafood. The first step in healing our ocean is to understand the enormity of the problem by educating ourselves. ![]() Seasonal and Sustainable Dishes Made by Your Favorite Local Chefs Date: Sunday, November 7, 2021, 4 PM Acterra will host a holiday cooking forum featuring a diverse set of notable Bay Area chefs that will demonstrate how to prepare their favorite plant-based holiday dishes. Each chef will be sharing personal stories and cultural significance of the dish, talk about the benefits of plant-forward eating and the importance of using induction cooktops. Two moderators will be joining us to interact with the chefs and ask questions posed by audience members, for an overall interactive and engaging experience. Featured Chefs:
Acterra's social media handles: Instagram and Twitter: @PlanetActerra Facebook and LinkedIn: @acterra Registration link: https://hopin.com/events/holiday-refresh-2021 Website with more info: https://www.acterra.org/holiday-refresh ![]() We will be reverse trick-or-treating where you’ll be in costume, but you’ll be the one giving treats to our rescued animal residents. Watch us smash some pumpkins, see the animals devour them, and help us give our residents an all-around amazing day! This event is open to all ages, and we’ll also send you home with your own vegan-friendly goodie bags. The best news is that the proceeds from this event go directly towards the continued care of the 130+ rescued animals who call Charlie's Acres home! Activities include: • Costume Parade - Show off your costumes as you walk the sanctuary loop, saying hello to rescued animals. • Animal Treats - Reverse the trick-or-treat tradition and hand out treats to rescued animals as you stop by each pasture. • Goat Greeting - Hang out in the pasture with some of our goat or sheep residents. • Pumpkin Smash - Watch the animals enjoy eating pumpkins tossed into their yards. • Goodie bags - Don't leave without taking your gift bag of candy with you! For more info or to purchase tickets, go to: https://charliesacres.salsalabs.org/halloween2021/index.html Penned by PBA Core Member, Mythri Ramesh for the Los Gatos Outlook in August 2021.
One lazy Saturday afternoon, I called a local restaurant and asked to hear their vegan options. I then heard, “Is chicken okay?” and took it as an opportunity to explain the nuances between different plant-based diets. This article will explore those differences, and share some reasons why my Los Gatos family and I have personally chosen a vegan diet. So what are the different plant-based diets? How do they differ from a vegan diet? Plant-based: Focuses on foods primarily from plants like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans. Doesn’t completely exclude animal products, but prioritizes choosing foods from plant sources. Vegan: Excludes all animal products, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Lacto-vegetarian: Excludes eggs, meat, seafood, and poultry and includes milk products. Ovo-vegetarian: Excludes meat, seafood, poultry, and dairy products and includes eggs. Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Excludes meat, seafood, and poultry and includes eggs and dairy products. [1] Pescatarian: Excludes meats, like beef, pork, or chicken, but includes fish. May include dairy products and eggs pescatarian diet may include dairy products and eggs. I had been a lacto-ovo vegetarian all my life, but now I am a proud vegan with all my heart and soul. Through this journey of discovery, I learned some eye-opening, jaw-dropping and heartbreaking facts. I will break it down into three parts, to make it look clean, easy to understand and to be frank, not to bore you! Vegan for My Health and My Family’s Health According to researchers, “unhealthy diets are the largest global burden of disease,” having surpassed even tobacco use as the leading cause of death and disease worldwide. Eating more plants and fewer animal products could prevent 10.9 to 11.6 million premature human deaths from heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions every year. [3] After learning this, I decided to change our diet to plant-based to protect my family. Vegan for Our Planet It takes 460 gallons of water and 64.5 square feet of land crops to produce a 1/4-pound hamburger. [4] Imagine how many humans we can feed in that same amount of land with a plant-based diet! And every year, we raise 29 million cows for beef and dairy. When we factor in all the land used to graze animals and feed crops grown to sustain livestock, as well as the waste produced from all these animals (cows are responsible for 62 percent of agricultural emissions5) it becomes obvious that eating animals is simply unsustainable for our planet. These are the facts about cows. What about other farm animals? Vegan for Animals Who doesn’t like the classic children’s song, “Old-McDonald?” We all teach our kids about farm animals and take them to petting zoos. The feeling of seeing a jumping white baby lamb or a goofy tiny pink piglet tends to generate happiness and love. But somehow there is a disconnect from seeing them physically alive, versus having them on our plates. Animals are sentient beings, and they feel emotions just like us through their nervous systems. They are no different from our pampered dogs or cats with their own cute little beds. Why treat one as companions and others as products? Am I asking to throw out everything in your refrigerator? If you are up for it, yes! It really depends on what you’re comfortable with. Some people convert to a plant-based diet completely on day one, while others ease into it by starting to switch out some traditional meals with plant-based meals. You can start with meatless Mondays or kick-start your diet with a month of plant-based meals. Need recipes? There are countless online that are super easy, quick and delicious. There are several pure vegan restaurants around the Bay Area as well as vegan options provided by various local restaurants. If you need help getting used to eating plant-based, there are many resources available to help you: Challenge 22 (www.challenge22.com) and Vegan Outreach (www.veganoutreach.org) are just a few. You can also find support and recipes through Plant-Based Advocates, a grassroots group that I am part of in Los Gatos. I encourage you to give the “plant-based lifestyle” a chance. Who knows? Maybe you will love this new way of living because of your improved health, as well as knowing your diet minimizes harm toward animals or our environment. Plant-Based Advocates is a grassroots group in Los Gatos that is working to mitigate climate change by reducing the traditional reliance on meat and dairy. We're taking action in the community by doing things like helping restaurants increase their plant-based options, working with local legislators, and sharing plant-based meals with unhoused communities. This is our way of sharing the benefits of plant-based eating and giving back to the community during these unprecedented times. Email me your thoughts: kmythriramesh@gmail.com References: [1] www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/ [2] www.khn.org/morning-breakout/how-did-covid-start-who-china-report-says-animals-were-the-source/ [3] www.pcrm.org/news/blog/5-ways-vegan-diet-helps-planet [4] www.businessinsider.com/one-hamburger-environment-resources-2015-2 [5] www.fao.org/gleam/results/en/ |
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