Open the doors into a new day, inhale and exhale- take in the moment as it could be the last breath of fresh clean air. Though fresh air is the least worry of an individual, the world itself is dying faster each year. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, animals are going extinct, natural disasters are intensifying, heat waves will become common, and droughts will take every last drop of freshwater. With the population rising, high demand for resources has led humans to negatively manipulate Mother Earth by depleting forests which invokes fatal natural disasters and drive ecosystems to extinction. Resources must be extracted to feed this population but there is the tendency of harvesting more food than necessary. Food is grown by estimation to feed a population however the downside is not taking into consideration how much food will be wasted. On a daily basis fresh vegetables, nutritious fruits and meats are thrown away adding up to approximately, “1,000 pounds of food— 40 percent of our entire food supply,” (Spacht NRDC, 2018). This is more common among California K-12 schools- with an enrollment size of about 600 students- who do not savor the provided school lunches. This act of habit is costing thousands of dollars annually that redirect to the environment.

A simple change in lifestyle choices, such as modifying our diets one day a week in order to eat less meat can be increasingly beneficial and inexpensive. Worldwide campaigns such as Meat Free Monday and Meatless Monday have all come together in a common goal for people to avoid meat one day a week in order to improve their health and protect the environment. The policy of introducing meatless meals on Mondays in public schools has been introduced in a few states, but it should be expanded it nationally and to all government-funded institutions that serve food. This policy can help modify people’s diets without having to make drastic changes, and encourage them to choose healthier options more often. Depending less on meat will help people spend less on ingredients and the federal government will have to spend less in the aftermath of natural disasters that are exacerbated by climate change. So much is done and spent in order to satisfy the stomach of the American when they can be satisfied in a more environmentally-friendly and healthy. Less is needed to be spent on raising cattle, cutting down trees, and vegetable-based meals are much cheaper. Would an American rather eat meat for a day, or pay more in taxes in order to fund alternative solutions for energy, and spend more money to buy meat?