We must change our traditional systems and ways of thinking to adapt to the current global environment, while continuing to sustain life into the future. The development of new transportation systems and the spread of environmentally friendly eating habits are urgent tasks.
Car tires are made of a petroleum-based compound. It is a substance similar to plastic, and when it rubs against the road surface, it scatters tiny pieces of debris. Wind and rain carry these tiny pieces of tire debris into rivers and eventually into the ocean. It is estimated that approximately 30% of the microplastics entering the ocean are tire fragments. Even after plastic is broken down into smaller pieces, it remains in the environment. Tire-derived microplastics are released into the air and carried into the ocean every day.
The environmental impact of industrial animal agriculture is also a major problem. Cattle burping produces methane gas, which emits greenhouse gases and is one of the factors contributing to global warming. Furthermore, large-scale industrial animal agriculture requires large amounts of land and is a major cause of deforestation and ecosystem destruction. Livestock-related land use, including feed production, occupies about 1/4 of the Earth's land area.
And it is not only large tracts of land that livestock production requires. It is estimated that 25 kg of grain and 15,000 liters of water are consumed to produce 1 kg of steak.
We need to make the right choices for the new era and for our future children, while being grateful for the wisdom and labor of our predecessors who have supported our way of life.
