The Reality Behind Meat
My 28-day quest to go pescatarian
I’m an 8th grader at Oyster-Adams Bilingual School. In our science class we watched a short film about a hummingbird. The hummingbird lived in a forest that caught on fire. However, the hummingbird did not want to let its home go up in flames. It began carrying water from a lake to the fire to try and put it out. All the other animals who could have carried much more water, decided not to help. Don’t be like the other animals and sit back while our home is slowly getting destroyed. Be like the hummingbird and take action to save our home.
That’s why our science class is doing a Do One Thing (DOT) project. This is a four-week project where we will each choose one thing to do that will help the environment. This can range from composting or taking shorter showers to going vegan or not driving anywhere. I chose to be pescatarian.
The main reason that led to me choosing to be pescatarian is that catching or raising fish is much less polluting than raising livestock (cattle, chickens, or pigs) and wastes much less land, food, and water. As explained in an article in Independent, cows are the top destroyer of the environment, more than cars or planes. They produce methane and are responsible for 18% of the greenhouse gasses that cause climate change.
One other thing that led me to picking this is that a pescatarian diet is very healthy. As explained on University Health News, it has the benefits of a vegetarian diet and a meat diet. You consume lots of fresh vegetables, while at the same time consuming plenty of protein. Finally, sustainable seafood, is something that is easy to find. This means that even though you are still eating fish, it is much better for the environment.
“One person can make a difference and everyone should try.”
— John F. Kennedy
