UN report urging shift to vegan eating isn't getting much press!

Wow! The UN report environmental report, Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production has stated it loud & clear: we need a global shift to plant-based vegetarian eating (vegan) if we want to survive. Gee, it is rather curious that no American mainstream media picked up on this monumental news. I didn’t hear it on the evening television news, NPR nor did I read it in any newspaper, did you?
After googling (I believe that is a word now) the topic, it appears that only online vegan resources published it so it reached a select few who are probably eating plant-based anyway. I guess the agriculture and food industries don’t want people to know that we are literally digging our graves and those of our children and grandchildren with our forks. If we consider ourselves environmentalists, humanists or whatever then we “need to be the change we want to see in the World.”

After being made aware of this information, I wonder if the large environmental groups are going to start promoting plant-based vegetarian eating? This would have a much greater impact than recycling or changing light bulbs. What about groups who save & feed children? Or food banks?

If people don’t know the importance of eating plant-based & how it helps the Earth then they can never alter their eating habits. I am going to share the information in the press release below far & wide & sincerely hope you do the same.

Oh yes, “Life is short so always eat dessert first” is my motto. I’ve included chocolate cake & frosting recipes. Scroll down to the very bottom to see them. Till next week…

Wishing you healthy & humane eating,

Suzanne Dragan

Here is the press release:

BREAKING NEWS: UN report urges worldwide shift to Vegan diet

Contact: Suzanne Dragan, Nurse Director 732-446-6963 Foodforlife@aplnj.org

The United Nations Environment Program released a new report titled Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production containing this urgent message: A global shift towards a plant-based diet is necessary in order to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty and the worst affects of climate change.

The report states: "Impacts from agriculture are expected to increase substantially due to population growth increasing consumption of animal products. Unlike fossil fuels, it is difficult to look for alternatives: people have to eat. A substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change, away from animal products."

Researchers have determined that “Agriculture, particularly meat and dairy products, accounts for 70% of global freshwater consumption, 38% of the total land use and 19% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.” World Watch Institute disputes that 51%, not 19% of all human-induced global warming gases are a direct result of animal agriculture.

The UN report also urges developing countries to not follow the western world’s animal-based eating habits. To have an impact on the environment we need to literally eat green.

UN urges global move to meat and dairy-free diet

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-free-diet

Full UN Report

http://www.unep.org/resourcepanel/documents/pdf/PriorityProductsAndMaterials_Report_Full.pdf


“51% of all global warming gases due to animal agriculture” WorldWatch magazine, November 2009

http://www.worldwatch.org/files/pdf/Livestock%20and%20Climate%20Change.pdf

The Best Ever Chocolate Cake

I defy anyone who loves chocolate cake not to flip over this ultra rich, moist cake!Recipe makes enough for 12 regular cupcakes, 6 jumbo ones or almost 24 mini. It is enough for one small bundt cake. Double the recipe for an 8" by 8" square cake.

1 cu plain soy milk (low-fat is good)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

¾ cu granulated sugar

1/3 cu canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract or more vanilla

1 cu all purpose flour

1/3 cu cocoa powder

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a cake pan with some non-hydrogenated soy “butter,”like Earth Balance or line muffin/cup cake pans with foil cups.
Whisk soy milk and vinegar in large bowl, set aside to curdle for a few minutes. Add sugar, oil, vanilla extract and other extract to soy mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add in 2 batches to wet mixture and beat until smooth.Fill containers ¾ full. Bake until done - for the bundt and square pan about 40 minutes; large cupcakes 18-20 minutes and mini-cupcakes about 8-11 minutes. Insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean, then cake is done. Cool before frosting or sprinkle with confectionary sugar.

From “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

The Best Ever “Butter Cream” Frosting

You can use any flavor extract you like—vanilla, lemon, almond. I love maple—it fills the house with a wonderful aroma. This recipe makes a lot of frosting and you can always half it to make less.

½ cup non-hydrogenated shortening

½ cup non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)

3½ cups powdered sugar

1½ teaspoons extract (vanilla, maple, lemon, almond, cherry etc.)

1 cup plain soy milk or soy creamer

Beat shortening and margarine together till well-blended and fluffy. Add
sugar and beat for 3 more minutes.Add extract(s) and soy milk and beat for another 5-7 minutes until fluffy. Spread on cake & yum!  

From Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz