PETA Is Challenging You to Go Vegan for the Planet This Earth Day

PETA is celebrating Earth Day 2021 by encouraging everyone to take one simple step: Go vegan for at least one day. The campaign, “Go Vegan for the Earth Day,” will kick off Thursday, April 22, in honor of Earth Day and to raise awareness about the relationship between people, food, and the environment. The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 by about 20 million Americans, expressing their concern over policies and practices that jeopardize a clean, livable environment for all. In its tireless fighting for the right and protections of animals, PETA has good reason to dive in deep on Earth Day.

The reason for going vegan for at least one day is simple: By eating plant-based, each person saves 1,100 gallons of water, nearly 40 pounds of grain, and 30 square feet of forested land per day. It’s a classic demonstration of the incredible impact that an individual can wield. PETA challenges everyone to ask themselves how they could possibly not celebrate Earth Day when just one day of eating vegan is so attainable and does this much good.

In the accompanying webpage for the campaign, PETA suggests several other activities that almost anyone can practice in honor of Earth Day. The group encourages participants to share their vegan-for-a-day (or more) pledge on social media, along with facts about veganism; for example, skipping a pound of beef saves more water than not showering for six months. Adapting the Earth Day message in the era of work-from-home, everyone is encouraged to share their favorite vegan recipes with co-workers and to host viewing parties of the documentary Cowspiracy through popular video conferencing platforms Zoom and Teleparty.

Most importantly, the best thing that truly anyone can do for Earth Day is to eat vegan. “When it comes to the climate crisis,” PETA writes, “animal agriculture is a leading culprit.” With the world of dynamic and exciting plant-based cooking growing every day, there are many ways for newcomers to a plant-based lifestyle to start to make a change in their lives and for their planet.

Beyond the environmental benefits, PETA reminds us that eating vegan is an excellent way to respect our fellow animals and the ecosystem we all share: “Living on Mother Earth is one of the things humans and all other animals have in common, along with a will and a right to live.” Just as bees help the Earth by pollinating plants and beavers contribute by creating dams that naturally prevent flooding and erosion, it is the responsibility of our species, says PETA, to give back to the world that sustains us.

While PETA’s campaign acknowledges that individuals have a crucial role to play in the future of our planet, more than 100 restaurants across the United States have also answered PETA’s call as well, vowing to celebrate April 22nd by promoting delicious vegan options to their customers. Participating restaurants include Boss ChicknBeer in Cleveland, Ohio, the chain Ike’s Love & Sandwiches, The Village Restaurant in Litchfield, Connecticut, and Juicy Kitchen in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk explained the reason behind the campaign the best, saying, “The enormous variety and array of vegan foods available today not only are delicious but also spare animals’ lives, save water, slash greenhouse-gas emissions, and might just bring you years of good health. PETA encourages everyone to be a force of nature by fighting the climate crisis with vegan eating on Earth Day and every other day.