The things that first come to mind when thinking of saving the environment are recycling and biking. Those are not the only things that contribute to a healthy environment. Vegetarians also play a role

Vegetarians know that there are stereotypes associated with their lifestyle, but they also know that on a larger scale, they are actually heroes.

Landry Goodgame, an active vegetarian, explains why she chooses the lifestyle.

“Pretty much the big thing for me is the way that meat is produced here in the states on factory farms. It’s just really really bad for the environment; not to mention, really really bad for the animals, and pretty cruel.”

It was a love for the environment that sparked this new eating culture for Goodgame.

“The outdoors is just where I spend most of my time, it’s where I feel most alive, and so seeing and reading about ways that we are harming the outdoors and harming our environment. For me, that’s very personal.”

There are many ways to get involved and help better the environment, and one of those can even be eliminating meat. This Friday, Campus Kitchen is hosting a night of food and film that will explore the topic of food waste in the United States. The University of Georgia’s Earth Week events are in place to help others find their role in bettering the environment.