We are experiencing a global pandemic like never before. In the grips of the coronavirus, our world feels upside down and many of the most familiar aspects of our lives seem out of our control. In the face of so much uncertainty, this can leave us feeling helpless and like nothing we can do can make any meaningful difference. And remember that little thing called the climate crisis? Yeah, that’s not going away either. But don’t let these crises overwhelm you! One important thing the coronavirus pandemic is teaching us is that we do have the power and capability to make drastic and rapid changes to solve global problems, and that we as individuals can and do make a huge difference.
Our food and agriculture system is one of the biggest drivers of the climate emergency, species extinction, environmental degradation, and even the spread of disease. Did you know that diet change is one of the most powerful ways to stop climate change?
Leading environmental organizations and international institutions are urging a shift toward plant-based diets as one of the most important actions individuals can take to reduce their carbon footprint and stop environmental degradation. Science shows us that animal agriculture in particular is a leading cause of Amazon rainforest deforestation, species extinction, freshwater depletion, ocean pollution, and of course climate change [1, 2, 3]. A study published in 2018 in the journal Science found that even the most sustainably produced animal-based products have a much greater environmental footprint than the least sustainably produced plant-based foods, leading the researchers to conclude that “A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on the planet”. [4]
The good news about this is that we can claim our power as individuals and start making a huge difference today. Of course we need both institutional and individual change immediately, but too few people and organizations are talking about the power we as individuals have every single day when it comes to our food choices.
That’s why in honor of the 50th Earth Day anniversary, we are proud to present the first ever Virtual Climate Diet Summit, taking place from April 14th – 18th! This FREE, four-day online summit features 16 talks from food and climate justice experts who will share how to reduce your carbon footprint, eat sustainably, and claim your power as individuals to make the best impact you can.
Presentations include topics such as:
- How Current Agriculture Policies are Devastating Our Environment and How We Can Fix the Rigged System – Connie Spence
- How the Roots of the Climate Crisis and the Pandemic are Connected – Dr. Michael Klaper
- Food Justice: Using Food as a Tool For Social Change – lauren Ornelas
- How to Save our Oceans and Humanity – Captain Paul Watson
Each day of the summit, 4 expert speaker video interviews will go live and will be available for free on our website for 24 hours. Registered attendees will receive emails with the links to each day’s videos and will be able to watch them anytime they want during that 24 hour period. Once the next day’s videos are made live, the previous day’s videos will no longer be available for free.
If you would like unlimited lifetime access to all 16 summit interview videos, we are offering a paid upgrade that will provide you with a login where you can re-watch, download, and save any of the interviews you want!
Sign up now for free at: www.CDSsummit.com
Join us today to learn how we can create a just food system that will bring us the sustainable future we all want. This is an all-hands-on-deck crisis, and this is a solution that demands immediate attention—we can’t have climate justice without food justice.
[1] Agriculture and Overuse Threatening Wildlife https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/10/agriculture-and-overuse-greater-threats-to-wildlife-than-climate-change-study [2] Amazon Deforestion Driven by Meat Consumption https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/02/revealed-amazon-deforestation-driven-global-greed-meat-brazil [3] UN FAO – Livestock’s Long Shadow Report http://www.fao.org/3/a0701e/a0701e.pdf [4] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/31/avoiding-meat-and-dairy-is-single-biggest-way-to-reduce-your-impact-on-earth [5] https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/09/04/elizabeth-warren-fossil-fuel-industry-cnn-climate-town-hall-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/climate-change/
