The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation’s 2006 report Livestock’s Long Shadow states that the livestock sector (animals bred for human food) is responsible for 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO₂ equivalent.

Meat and Dairy animals produce more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transport combined.

By choosing to replace your regular servings of meat and dairy with plant-based alternatives in a single meal you can save about 1.3 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent.

VEGETARIAN - THE EARTH DIET!

More on the environmental reasons to Go Vegetarian

WHY VEGETARIAN? YOUR HEALTH

Vegetarians are healthier than people who eat meat. Its a fact. Scientific studies show that vegetarians suffer much less from illnesses like cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and other common health problems.

More on the health reasons to Go Vegetarian

WHY VEGETARIAN? CRUELTY TO ANIMALS

More than 50 billion animals are systematically killed in slaughterhouses around the world each year (over seven times the human population!). It is nothing more than an undercover massacre which we, as consumers, contribute to by distancing ourselves from the truth.

More on the humane reasons to Go Vegetarian

WHY VEGETARIAN? IT'S FAIRER

Meat is expensive to produce - both economically and agriculturally. With so many starving people in the world today it is a criminal waste of food to produce it. Meat animals are fed perfectly good plant food which could have been fed directly to starving people.

More on the socio-economic reasons to Go Vegetarian

HOW TO GO VEGETARIAN? START HERE

The best place to start going vegetarian is in the kitchen! Buy a cookbook and start preparing... you will soon get used to the types of food that are used and how they are prepared (a number of excellent recipe books are available here). Also, your taste for vegetarian food will adapt. If you are doubtful about your abilities as a cook you can enrol in cooking classes. Information about these is often available in health food shops and some courses are run at TAFE colleges.

Giving up meat might seem strange at first but if you feel that you can't drop meats straight away, try cutting it down bit by bit. Just increase your use of foods like beans, grains, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, gluten and some of the many low cholesterol convenience foods (like veggie burgers and sausages) now available at health food stores and supermarkets.

Get a free Vegetarian Starter Kit here

* Watch this video by Bizarro - veganism with bite.