Deforestation is quickly becoming the face of a contemporary biological and ecological crisis. The amount of trees felled yearly is equivalent to adding 33,000,000 cars to our roads, with 1 billion cars already driving throughout the world. That’s more cars than the entire vehicle populations of Australia and Argentina combined. The expansion of agricultural grazing is one of many realities that constitute a degenerating society. But, where there is cataclysm, there is opportunity for rectification.

The livestock and beef industry contributes significantly to deforestation. In fact, 91% of deforestation comes from animal agriculture, so it only makes sense to cut back on our consumption of animal products for a better environment. This doesn’t have to mean complete abstinence from all animal products, just a reasonable attempt to cut back can produce significant results. An important part to ending deforestation is to avoid falling into the social trap of not acknowledging or taking inventory of your contributions to it.

This is why Meatless Monday is such a viable solution. Offering only plant based proteins on Mondays (assuming every undergrad eats 3 meals per day) saves about 26 acres of land each day, and a stunning 10 million gallons of water. 

Losing the trees, the lungs of our Earth, affects climate change, CO2 emissions, biodiversity, and the inhabitability of our planet. We must take action now in order to preserve our future.