Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) have recently produced a distasteful anti “grass-eaters” campaign, despite the current market preference for vegetarianism.
In the light of “Veganuary,” where 51% of the 12,800 participants have permanently converted to veganism, it is inevitable that the upsurge of plant-based eating is facing resistance from longstanding meat-eating joints.
With derisive posters phrased, “You’ll Always Remember When You Gave Up Being a Vegetarian” and “Vegetarians, Resistance is Futile,” GBK’s tactless attempt at poking fun has endeavored to reinforce the stigma against plant-based diets. Undermining the suffering of animals, public health and the environment to alienate the rising number of vegans and vegetarians, GBK’s use of marginalization sparked public backlash. Faced with critical tweets and online complaints, public scrutiny surmounted in GBK’s uncomfortable Twitter apology: “Our intentions were light-hearted and not meant to cause any offense, but clearly we have, and for that we apologize.”
However, despite its callousness, it is targeted campaigns like GBK’s that can remind the public why a vegetarian diet is actually far from futile. With documentaries such as DiCaprio’s “Cowspiracy” being posted on Netflix, the ethical repercussions for animal agriculture are beginning to become increasingly part of global consciousness.
(Photo Credit: www.irishexaminar.com)
Often, when we think of reasons why one becomes vegetarian or vegan, animal cruelty is at the forefront. And yet, many remain ignorant of the global, environmental consequences for animal consumption.
Eating vegan halves your carbon footprint. Emissions generated through land clearing for grazing and growing feed, in addition to farmed animals’ production of methane and nitrous oxide, has a warming effect of 86 times more impactful than carbon dioxide alone. Animal agriculture is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined exhaust from all forms of transportation.
Energy used to keep, transport and slaughter animals, the vast quantities of water deployed for their cleaning and drinking on top of the pollution generated by mass farming practices are only some of the reasons to cut down on animal products.
(Photo Credit: www.thecaterer.com)
Each day, according to the Cowspiracy website, a person who eats a vegan diet can save 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 square feet of forested land, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide and one animal’s life. Vegan’s require 1/6th of an acre (vegetarians 3x as much) to eat for one year, compared to a meat-eater who needs 18x more.
Currently, there are 70 billion farmed animals reared annually. The resources used to feed our unsustainable, selfish cravings for GBK’s “Old Colonial” contributes to agricultural costs of 414 billion dollars. Already, we are growing enough food for 10 billion people, yet 50% of this is fed to livestock rather than 82% the starving children that live in countries where it is grown.
Howard Lyman, a former cattle rancher and author of “Mad Cowboy,” claims in the documentary “You can’t call yourself and environmentalist and eat meat. Period.” Going vegan is the most intelligent, empathetic and active choice an individual can make that will have a significant daily impact on the future of our world.
Now GBK, how does that taste?