Recently, I read an article from The Guardian which wasn’t a big surprise to those of us spending our free time trying to sound the alarm about the climate crisis, but it did make me realize that as climate activists, we need to start doing a better job of shining the light on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and animal agriculture. 

As you correctly guessed, the topic of this article is about our global food system emissions, primarily from meat and dairy production, and their effect on the climate crisis. According to a recent study from the journal Nature Climate Change, if we do nothing and continue plodding along as usual, the greenhouse gas emissions from our food system alone will be enough to push us 0.70C degrees over the 1.5C degrees of global warming we are currently no longer able to avoid. 

I doubt I need to spell this out, but that would put us over the catastrophic 2 degrees celsius warming that we’ve been trying so hard to avoid since Exxon/Mobil began gaslighting us in the 1970s. 

We talk a lot about fossil fuels (because that is why we are in this mess to begin with) but not a lot about how peoples’ dinner might be just as bad (or sometimes worse) as their daily commute. As Americans, we eat a lot of methane producing food. Like, a lot! 

According to the USDA, in 2021 we consumed 30 billion pounds of beef. This is an almost 9 percent increase from the year before, and with the gaining popularity of meat-heavy diet fads like Keto and Paleo, we might be in a pretty nasty situation as the global temperature continues to rise if we don’t start doing a better job of talking about our personal food choices and the environment. 

Recently a new study from Tulane University looked at the 6 most popular diets and their nutritional and environmental impacts. Not surprisingly, Keto and Paleo came in last for their high GHG emissions and negative impact on our planet. They also didn’t score too high on the health front, just FYI. 

The good news is that adopting a plant-heavy, low meat/dairy diet is not only good for the planet but great for your health. Save the Earth and end up with a great cardiovascular system to boot! What’s not to love!

Do you need to become a strict vegan to save the planet? Maybe, but that study hasn’t been published yet. For now, let’s focus on making changes where we can.

Not sure where to start on the meat-reduction path? That’s okay! I had the idea for this blog when I was thinking about Earth Month and the growing apathy in the activist world centered around climate change. Many people are feeling burnt out and strapped for time and money. It’s common for us to hear people say that the everyday stuff you need to do to save the planet isn’t feasible or even accessible to people who don’t make a large income. If we are honest, solar panels and electric cars are luxuries that many of us don’t have access to. So how can we really make a difference that is on par with installing solar panels and buying an electric car? 

Believe it or not, changing your diet is one of the single biggest ways to reduce your personal impact on the environment, and it’s something that everyone can do. You can do it in stages, you can go all in and become vegan, or you can start by no longer purchasing beef and cow milk.

No matter how you slice the pie, animal agriculture plays a massively important role in our warming planet right alongside fossil fuels. 

With this in mind and Earth Day right around the corner, I have asked my colleagues at 350 Spokane to pass along their favorite vegan/vegetarian cookbook recommendations to help you on your climate-friendly eating journey. We hope you enjoy cooking from them as much as we do. Don’t forget to tag us on social media if you share your favorite climate-friendly foods with your friends!

From Keene Short – 350 Spokane Board Member

Diet for a Small Planet, Frances Moore Lappe

This is a classic, and the 1982 edition I have that I keep mistaking for a paperback pulp novel every time I look for it begins with a detailed treatise about food democracy. Lappe makes the argument that the meat industry requires such vast amounts of land that it only works when small, family farms are scooped up by large, profit-driven corporations. Decades later, this argument is urgent now more than ever given the impact of the meat industry on climate change. Her recipe for “Lentils, Monastery Style,” is one I return to often.

The Vegetarian Flavor Bible by Karen Page 

This  is not strictly a cookbook but is an immensely detailed guide to pairing seasonal foods. I’ve been trying as much as possible this year to only buy produce in season in the region, and this guide has helped me pair vegetables and seasonings that are in abundance around Spokane but are not necessarily popular. In the interests of keeping food local, I think this provides some valuable insight into making good food with what is closer to you, minimizing the costs of transportation and single-use packaging. This has been especially useful to me in winter when I ran out of things to do to a squash.

From Fawna Slavik – 350 Spokane Co-Chair

The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen

There are many editions of this classic vegetarian cookbook, but the original holds a special place in my heart. It reminds me of the home I grew up in, learning to cook, charred onions and cast iron pans. I taught myself how to cook with this book when I was a teenager, so maybe that is why I go back to it time and time again. Regardless, it is a true classic that will hold your hand if you are a beginner or simply enhance your standard cuisine if you are a pro. One of the first recipes I ever made from this book was the Tabouli and it remains a favorite to this day.

Vegan With A Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

This remains my favorite vegan cookbook of all time. If you want to eat familiar meals that we all grew up with but you want them to be “veganized” then this is the cookbook for you. There are so many delicious recipes in this book that I won’t bother to list a favorite. I’ll just say, this is one of those cookbooks that you can buy without worrying about whether or not you’ll regret it. In fact, Moskowitz has a ton of vegan cookbooks out there. I own most of them and they are all fantastic.

From Larry Luton – 350 Spokane Steering Committee 

Quick Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin

My wife and I do not spend a lot of time cooking, so meals that can be put together in 30 to 45 minutes are “our jam.” Tortellini with Sour Cream Sauce (p. 117) uses commonly found ingredients, is simple to make, and quite tasty. This is also a recipe that is easy to modify with your own creativity.

From Pragya Rai – 350 Spokane Steering Committee

Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families by Reshma Shah M.D. M.P.H and Brenda Davis R.D.

This is a great book for families with a quick excerpt on recipes, nutritional requirements based on ages for children, comparison of nutrients; keeping in mind taste, culture, cost, sustainability, and availability. There is something for everyone, including picky eaters. A great book to set the foundation for healthy nourishment for life. 

From Shenandoah Marr – 350 Spokane Steering Committee 

Market Vegetarian by Ross Dobson

This cookbook encourages people to eat seasonally and support local growers, two important ways to minimize the environmental impact of our food.

World of Vegetarian Cooking by Linda McCartney

I like Linda’s book because it contains a variety of recipes from many different countries.  Many include stories of how she came to learn of the recipe.  She is also one of the most famous and passionate vegetarians who promoted the benefits of a vegetarian diet long before it was trendy.