Sustainability and New York City

You may be wondering how the food, sustainability and New York breaking news in touch with one another. Unfortunately, the Earth is currently experiencing rapid loss of biodiversity, and unsustainable human activities is now the biggest threat to biodiversity. Industrial agriculture reduces biodiversity by damaging the environment through pollution from untreated animal waste, chemicals and soil erosion. Copious amounts of manure created by the thousands of animals that are found in large industrial farms create water pollution of air, soil and surface. In addition, the agricultural industry uses large amounts of pesticides and chemical fertilizers that leach into the soil and water and consequently contaminate the surrounding environment.

How do we start? We should eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and less meat. We must look for meat that is produced in a way that is least harmful: eating grass, organic, antibiotic and hormone free. We also have to buy organic whenever we can, as well as from small, local sources to reduce environmental impact. There are more than 45 Greenmarket farmers market in New York City, and I always look forward to shopping at the Union Square Greenmarket. I also became a vegetarian for about a year, and this is my way to support biodiversity. I also participated in the Veggie Pride Parade on Sunday, May 18, 2008, the first of its kind in America. US-based parade is inspired by, but not affiliated with, Veggie Pride Parade in Paris.