- [Presenter] This week, Will Smith and Leonardo DiCaprio
team up to help the Amazon, Lush is shutting down stores
for the climate, and Arnold Schwarzenegger
shares his vegan fridge staples.
All this on more on LiveKindly's "Weekly Vegan News."
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Actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Will Smith are on a mission
to save the Amazon with sneakers.
Smith's eco-friendly water company, JUST Water,
which he runs with his son Jaden--
- Biggest feat that we have for me is when we switched
the cap and shoulders to being plant-based plastic.
- [Presenter] Teamed up with Allbirds,
an environmentally-friendly footwear brand.
Together, JUST Water and Allbirds released two new
limited edition sneakers: Tree Runners and Tree Toppers.
All proceeds from the shoes will be donated
to DiCaprio's Amazon Forest Fund.
DiCaprio's environmental non-profit Earth Alliance
recently set up the Emergency Amazon Forest Fund
in response to the news of devastating fires raging
across the rainforest.
The Amazon supplies six percent of the planet's oxygen.
It is home to more than one million indigenous people
and half the world's estimated 10 million species
of animals, plants, and insects.
"There is only one mother earth,
"and it's on us to protect her," Smith said in a statement.
The Brazilian Amazon, our largest carbon sink,
has now been burning for a month.
DiCaprio, who is also an Allbirds investor,
has been vocal about the Amazon fires, even asking
his 35 million Instagram followers to ditch beef,
as cattle farming is one of the key drivers
of Amazon deforestation.
"These are not wildfires, but rather fires set
"by people seeking to create cattle ranches,
"intentionally ignited during the dry season each year,"
said Ane Alencar, the scientific director of Brazilian NGO,
Institute of Environmental Research in Amazonia.
They cut the trees, leave the wood to dry, and later
put fire to it so that the ashes can fertilize the soil.
Vegan Nation, a vegan Israeli company that launched its own
cryptocurrency last year, is also making moves
to help the Amazon; it bought 15 thousand acres
of rainforest on a 10-year lease.
Vegan Nation will open its land
to preservation groups and activists,
ensuring that no animals are intentionally harmed.
It will ensure the land is free from exploitation.
Even the Brazilian government will be unable
to cut down trees there.
"The Amazon Rainforest might be located in Brazil,
"but its destruction affects us all,"
said Vegan Nation's CEO and co-founder Isaac Thomas.
Climate change is a direct result of human activity,
and it's in our hands to fight it.
Coming up: Arnold Schwarzenegger shares
His vegan fridge staples.
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Trump's new dietary guidelines favor the meat industry.
The Trump administration is limiting the range
of topics addressed by the 2020 guidelines for Americans.
This could mean the exclusion of research related
to meat, health, and sustainability.
The sidelining of scientific input has raised concerns
over industry influence on the federal government,
particularly because of the Department of Agriculture's role
in dictating what can and can't be addressed.
The 2015 dietary guidelines for Americans highlighted
that a plant-based diet is both good
for health and the environment.
A study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
revealed that meat consumption may be responsible
for more deaths than tobacco.
Dr. Ashkan Afshin, co-author of the study
and an assistant professor of health metrics science
at the University of Washington said poor dietary habits,
which is a combination of high intake of unhealthy foods,
such as red meat, processed meat, and
sugar-sweetened beverages, and a low intake
of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables,
nuts, whole grains and seeds, overall causes more deaths
than any other risk factors globally.
Animal agriculture is also one
of the top contributors to climate change.
David Katz, director of Yale University's
Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center
told the Washington Post, "veiled organizations representing
"the interests of beef, dairy and Big Food are pretending
"to use science to argue against the actual science and
"to expunge key recommendations.
"Of course sustainability should be included.
"Of course we need to eat less meat."
Action star Arnold Schwarzenegger
is pretty much 99% vegan now.
The former champion bodybuilder and governor
of California recently appeared on the Men's Health
"Gym and Fridge" YouTube series to show fans
what his diet and exercise regimen looks like.
Schwarzenegger's office refrigerator is stocked
with vegetables and fruit, his go-to snack
for when it's hot is cut-up watermelons.
- My favorite things to, when it gets hot,
I have watermelons, cut-up watermelons.
- [Presenter] The fridge also contains
plant-based ground beef by Beyond Meat.
For protein, the "Terminator" star turns to smoothies made
with Califia Farms almond milk,
tart cherry juice and banana.
When asked about his typical diet, Schwarzenegger revealed
that he is now health-conscious,
and that he wasn't always this way.
He used to eat 10-15 eggs a day and a lot of meat,
he revealed in a promotional video
for the "Game Changers" documentary on vegan athletes.
"Now I eat more oatmeal and greens and vegetables
"and healthy foods," the 72-year-old told Men's Health.
- And healthy foods, stay away more from the meats
and more from animal products and animal proteins,
because there was this misconception it's the only way
to get big and strong, so now I backed off that,
and I feel much better by (mumbles) greens.
- [Presenter] He doesn't dislike many foods
except for cow's milk.
- I would say that I hate cow's milk.
I think almond milk is much better.
- [Presenter] Schwarzenegger is an executive producer
of "The Game Changers" alongside James Cameron, Jackie Chan
and Formula One race car driver, Lewis Hamilton.
The film debunks the myth that athletes need meat to excel.
Schwarzenegger revealed his cholesterol dropped
to around 109 after ditching animal products.
- It was the lowest that it ever was
in my entire life, at almost 69.
- [Presenter] Lush is closing its doors
to protest the climate crisis.
The cruelty-free cosmetics company is joining forces
with 16-year-old vegan environmentalist Greta Thunberg
to rally for change.
On September 20th in the U.S. and September 27th in Canada,
Lush North America will close down its 250 shops.
It will also shut its headquarters, manufacturing facilities
and eCommerce to join a climate strike led
by Thunberg in New York City.
- I'm urging all of you to take part
in the global climate strikes on September 20th and 27th.
(audience applauds)
- [Presenter] Thunberg founded #FridaysForFuture.
The movement began in August 2018,
after the then 15-year-old sat in front
of the Swedish Parliament every school day for three weeks.
The teen was protesting against the inaction
of the government on the climate crisis.
- We listen to the current best available United science,
it's just something that everyone should do.
- [Presenter] Her actions sparked a global movement,
and Thunberg now protests alongside students
around the world every Friday.
Lush is encouraging its more than five thousand employees
and millions of followers to take to the streets
to join the campaign.
The shutdown is hugely significant for the company,
the brand explained.
It is in the quarter leading up to its busiest time of year.
However, the president and CEO of Lush North America,
Mark Wolverton, wanted to ensure employee voices are heard.
Coming up: Cambridge University lowered
its carbon emissions by cutting beef from the menu.
Filmmaker James Cameron had choice words
for the public about climate change.
In an interview with Variety, Cameron said,
"people need to wake the (beep) up.
"We're going the wrong direction as fast as possible.
"I like to say we're like Thelma and Louise,"
he continued, "we're driving straight toward the canyon
"at 90 miles per hour with the radio cranked up
"and the top down."
- People think, oh well, if it's warmer
I just won't wear my jumper, you know, and if the ice melts,
those penguins are sure damn cute, and I'd hate
to see them die out, but it's not going to affect me.
I think you're missing the big picture.
- [Presenter] The "Game Changers" producer believes
there are many ways people can help
to turn that speeding car around.
Changing their diet to plant-based
is at the top of the list.
It's the lifestyle change the Camerons have focused most
of their efforts on encouraging.
"We felt that food was one of the least well-served,
"least understood, and one of the biggest, most important
"ways that we could affect change," he explained.
Four countries have united to form
the Vegan World Alliance, AKA the VWA.
The group aims to promote vegan values on a global scale.
The VWA consists of four activist groups:
the Dutch Association for Veganism,
the Vegan Society of Aotearoa in New Zealand,
the Vegan Society of Canada and Vegan Australia.
One of the first initiatives is a standard
for food labeled suitable for vegans.
According to the VWA, many countries
have no legal definition of what vegan food is.
A uniform certification would be used
by all alliance members and would provide
concrete rules for manufacturers to adhere to.
The VWA envisions a world where animals are valued
as individuals; it believes that animals should not
be used for food, clothing, entertainment,
or in other areas where their bodies are commodified.
The newly formed VWA will first focus
on building the framework necessary
to bring its vision to life.
Other efforts include sharing research, resources
and outreach programs, running joint campaigns
and facilitating cooperation between vegan organizations.
Cambridge University cut its greenhouse gas emissions
by 33% after ditching red meat.
The leading UK-based institution announced
the menu update in 2016 as part
of its sustainable food policy.
Beef and lamb were replaced with plant-based food instead.
The University's catering team, which caters
for 14 locations across Cambridge's campus
and more than 1,500 events a year, released a report showing
that the move helped Cambridge cut carbon emissions
by 33%, despite an increase in the amount
of food being purchased.
Their report, called "Our Sustainable Food Journey," said
the University reduced its carbon emissions by 10.5%.
It also showed a 33% reduction in carbon emissions
per kilogram of food purchased, and a 28% reduction
in the amount of land use per kilogram of food.
University chefs received plant-based cooking classes
following the change.
The vegan and vegetarian options are advertised
in a way that encourages students to purchase them
instead of the remaining meat options.
Head of the University catering service, Nick White,
said the switch has been absolutely the right thing to do.
He explained, "sustainability is extremely important
"to our students and staff, and we wanted to ensure
"that we were not only responding to their needs
"but pushing what was considered possible
"in a catering environment."
Taco Bell launched vegetarian menu boards nationwide,
featuring new menu items and vegan-friendly options.
The Mexican-inspired fast food chain initially tried
the new meat-free menu at a store in Dallas, Texas.
Its success led to the nationwide launch earlier this month.
Taco Bell's new veggie menus features new meat-free items
such as the black bean Crunchwrap Supreme
and black bean Quesarito.
- Really good flavor, you can really taste the black beans.
The rice gives it just a little more texture.
- [Presenter] It will also feature long-term favorites,
including the seven-layer burrito
and the bean soft taco supreme.
The classic bean burrito has been a menu staple for
over 50 years and is Taco Bell's second-best-selling item.
There are 13 AVA-certified menu items
and 36 certified vegetarian ingredients.
26 of those ingredients are vegan.
The fast food chain added "make it meatless"
to its apps and website to help customers
make ingredient substitutions.
It also has a how-to-eat-vegan guide
to make custom-ordering easier.
The chain sells 350 million veggie items per year, and says
that about seven percent of all orders are vegetarian.
That's it for today.
What do you think of Arnold Schwarzenegger's diet change?
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