A Vegan Thanksgiving

The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a weekly “green tip” to our readers. This week’s tip was written by Alicia Albek.

It’s the season to be thankful that we live in one of the most spectacular places in the world. We have clean, running water, clean ocean air. Many of us enjoy our newly installed solar energy panels at home, and we are working toward bringing more awareness of the need for more vegan options at our local restaurants. I would say that we have plenty to be thankful for.

We also know that there are plenty of people around the world who do not enjoy these basic needs. That is why it is so important for us to do everything possible to make sure to contribute to the rest of the world by following some simple ways to decrease emissions and fight climate change any way we can.

A simple and easy choice is what we choose to put on our plates.

At Thanksgiving, the average American household dinner for 12 people is associated with about 103 pounds of CO2 emissions, per thebeet.com. One turkey alone emits 64 pounds of emissions.

Activities involved in meat and dairy production—raising livestock, producing livestock feed—are responsible for a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond emissions, cutting meat and dairy ingredients greatly reduces the broader environmental burden of our meals. It also reduces animal pain and suffering.

At Resilient Palisades, we recognize that Thanksgiving is probably the hardest time of year to be thinking about the environment. After all, turkey dinner is inextricably linked with family, friends and warm memories. But it’s also the time to be thankful for our environment.

So if you can’t see your way to giving up turkey for Tofurky (which is delicious), think about great veggie side dishes like a Gardein Holiday Roll (my favorite!), stuffed pumpkins and mushrooms. The planet will be thankful.

For other ideas to combat climate change or to become a member of our community, visit resilientpalisades.org.