An estimated ten million Americans have gone vegan, cutting out meat, dairy, meat by-products completely out of their products. Even Oprah’s trying it, but can changing what you eat actually change your carbon footprint? Alina Cho is here with more.
Kyra Phillips: What do you think, are you going to do it?
Alina Cho: Well, maybe. We’ll have to see, the food is quite good, actually. You know, simply changing your diet has more of an impact than changing your car on the environment. You know, we’ve all heard about flying less, driving less to reduce your carbon footprint. But, going vegan? Some say eating a plants only diet is earth friendly. But does vegan food taste any good? We went for a taste test.
When Oprah announced her 21-day body cleanse, no caffeine, alcohol, or animal products, she wondered, “What is left?”
Apparently, quite a lot. Oprah is a convert, saying on her blog, “I never imagined meatless meals could be so satisfying.”
Chef Matteo (vegan chef): I think vegan food gets a bad rep, definitely.
Alina Cho: Why?
Matteo: Just because over the years it’s been known as bland and you know granola, tofu – kinda hippy.
Alina Cho: Brooklyn Chef Matteo is a vegan, meaning no dairy, meat, or any animal products. But this food is any but earthy crunchy, like cashew cheese ravioli. The pasta is made from thinly sliced turnips. It has a cheese flavor but it’s actually made from ground nuts.
“It’s so good.”
But is it really good for the planet?
Matteo: You can feed more people with a vegetarian based diet than you can with a standard based diet.
Alina Cho: Recent studies say eating a plants only diet produces far fewer greenhouse gases than an animal-based diet, shrinking one’s so-called carbon footprint. Dr. Gidon Eshel co-authored one study for the University of Chicago.
Dr. Gidon Eshel: If you only eat plants, your footprint drops by a ton and a half of CO2 per person per year.
Alina Cho: The USDA says the average American eats more than 117 pounds of red meat every year. Eshel says eliminating meat is better for the environment than switching from a Toyota Camry to a hybrid Prius. That’s because producing food from cows creates more carbon monoxide and methane gas. Eshel compares two dishes with a similar calorie count: a six-ounce steak and a plate of veggie stir-fry. He found that the production of one steak creates 24 times the amount of greenhouse gases as the vegan meal. But if you’re still skeptical, how about this - Chef Matteo’s chocolate peanut torte with strawberry and vanilla coconut cream.
Hmm-hmm is right. It was very good. Now, a lot of people asked, “What’s the difference between being a vegetarian and being vegan?” Well, “vegetarian” means no animal flesh, meaning no meat, fish, or poultry. Now, vegan is a bit more strict - no animal products or animal by-products. So, add to the list things like dairy and eggs. It’s really tough to do, you know, you have to be diligent about it. Researchers say, though, you don’t have to go entirely vegan to be green, Kyra. They say even cutting back from two hamburgers say to one a week can make a difference on the environment.
Kyra Phillips: It shouldn’t be so difficult. All right, well there’s a lot of people actually doing this. Join us now hip-hop mogul vegan Russell Simmons. He’s also the author of “Do You! 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success.” And he tells me Oprah helped him with the title and that’s why the book has been doing so well, that with the content.
Good to see you!
Russell Simmons: Good to see you.
Kyra Phillips: So, So, why do you do it?
Russel Simmons: Well, just to cause less harm and one of the things that we do know the UN reports that a vegan diet is …or the consumption of animals causes more harm to the environment than all the forms of transportation put together. That’s we’re talking about the environment, that’s one thing it causes. I don’t think when they said “dominion over the animals” they meant to abuse ten million farm animals every year, which is what we do here in America. So, it’s just a nice statement. I feel better. My friends report to me over the last fifteen years, I look better. You know, so it’s a big change for me. It gives you more clarity, and I think all of us want to be more clear, look younger, want to feel better, and one of the greater contributor to good on the planet.
Kyra Phillips: Well, you’re doing that in so many ways and just being a vegan is one part of your book. And I want to talk about that for a minute because it’s a side of you that I think is extremely endearing and unique, and you had signed this rapper Jinx da Juvy to Def Jam, and I know what an inspiration he was to you. He was shot a number of times, he saw his friends died, and he was an inspiration for this book, wasn’t he?
Russell: Yes, he was.
Kyra: So, you really saw him becoming a man.
Russell: Yes, I’ve seen so many artists grow and I’ve been involved in mentoring many artists over the years. He’s one example, he’s one that I took under my wing almost like a son. So, he is a good example.
Kyra: Which moves in to how you’ve seen him changed and others changed through what you’ve taken on. You actually said you wanted to go to yoga class to check out the girls.
Russell: In the beginning, yeah.
Kyra: But you felt the dharma.
Russell: Yeah.
Kyra: Tell me how that has changed your life? You’re meditating, you saw this higher truth that really has gone deep into your soul.
Russell: Well, it’s just to recognize what’s in, I mean, in fact all of us are looking for more stillness, for a chance to see the world in its beauty, right? And we’re struggling with that when we have all these things that separate us. So, the meditation slows the world down just a bit. The physical practice of yoga is part of that same process. All of us are searching, so when you find a path that suits you, whether it’s making church, or whether your temple, your synagogue, your mosque, whatever it is, it’s a path down the same road, you know, and all of us is trying to get there. And yoga for me has been a very helpful practice.
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