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The meat-intensive diets of the developed world contribute to global warming, deforestation, desertification and water pollution.

Global warming is predicted to have devastating effects, some of which have already begun. Climate change, sea level rise and loss of plant and animal species are just some of the possible consequences of increasing global temperatures. Methane is one of the three 'greenhouse gases' thought to be the main source of the problem. 16% of methane caused by humans comes from farmed cattle. The most problematic greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, produced when fossil fuels are burned to provide energy. Production of plant foods uses less energy than production of animal-based foods, so contributes less to climate change.

Forests are being destroyed at an alarming rate - not just for wood, but also to provide land to graze cattle and to grow food for cattle. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that total forest loss in the 1990s amounted to an area larger than Venezuela. Forests are home to millions of species, which can become endangered when they lose their habitats. Trees also absorb carbon dioxide, so fewer trees mean more global warming.

And it's not just the land that suffers. Every year farmers in the UK spread about 80 million tonnes of animal manures and other organic farm wastes on to the land as fertiliser. Much of this runs off into nearby rivers or streams, endangering the health of fish and other animals in the area.

Use the links on the right to find more good reasons to go vegan.