As a little girl, I dreamed of having magical ruby slippers like Dorothy's in "The Wizard of Oz." If I only had magic, I could save the world.
But just as Dorothy's power was with her all along, we, too, have profound power. Going vegan can help significantly curb deforestation and mitigate the effects of the climate catastrophe. So for the International Day of Forests (March 21), let's tap into that power and help heal the planet by going vegan.
Deforestation contributes substantially to the climate crisis. When trees are cut down, stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere.
And according to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, scientists have long been aware that human activities are altering the Earth's climate, primarily through greenhouse gas emissions. But forests continue to be pulverized to make room for factory farms.
Animal agriculture requires massive amounts of land. Between grazing land and cropland dedicated to growing animal feed, animal agriculture uses 80 percent of farmland globally. And although vast swaths of the planet are given over to raising animals for food, those animals contribute only 17 percent of the calories and 38 percent of the protein consumed by humans globally.
On the other hand, embracing vegan eating would allow us to feed the growing human population sustainably while supporting the resurgence of forests.
Forests aren't just wooded areas--they're home to a vast array of plant and animal species including shrubs, fungi, insects, mammals and birds.
In a span of merely six years, more than 800 million trees have been razed in the Amazon rainforest to satisfy the worldwide demand for Brazilian beef. And approximately 4.2 million acres of Amazonian land near meat plants that export beef globally has been decimated. Every bite of a hamburger steals a breath from the planet's lungs. So let's ditch flesh.
If everyone went vegan, global agricultural land use would decrease from 4.1 billion hectares to 1 billion hectares--a remarkable reduction of 75 percent. This change would be possible because less land would be needed for animals to graze on and for growing crops to feed them. Plus, going vegan spares animals misery and painful, terrifying deaths.
Just as the apple-throwing trees serve as a wake-up call for Dorothy and her companions to tread more carefully in the forest, it's time for us all to wake up and reconsider our relationship with nature. On this International Day of Forests--and every day--let's remember that the power to help save the world has been with us the whole time. Now let's go vegan.
Rebecca Libauskas is a climate research specialist for the PETA Foundation.