For the Planet

Are you an eco-minded person? Do you make a point of recycling, conserving energy, or driving a fuel-efficient car? All these actions are noble and make an impact, but not nearly as much as the impact of your food choices. Fight for the environment...with your fork!

Did you know…?

  • Eating a vegetarian diet is the most important way to help the environment and fight against global warming, pollution, and the extinction of endangered species.
  • You can do more to reduce your carbon footprint by switching to a vegetarian diet than you can by switching from a large sedan to a Toyota Prius.[1]
  • A single dairy cow produces more than 1.5 metric tons of C02 annually.[2]
  • It takes only 14 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat, but 441 gallons to produce a pound of meat.[3]
  • Animal agriculture produces more greenhouse gases than the combined number of cars and trucks worldwide.[4]
  • Factory farms produce 1.4 billion tons of manure every year. This waste pollutes our water and damages delicate eco-systems.[5]
  • Livestock grazing is the biggest threat to endangered species and biodiversity.[6]
  • According to the June 2, 2010 United Nations report, “A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel shortages and the worst impacts of climate change.”

Here's the good news:

References

1. NewScientist.com, "It's Better to Green Your Diet Than Your Car," 17 Dec. 2005. ↑

2. World Watch Institute, "Meat: Now It's Not Personal," July/Aug. 2004. ↑

3. Cornell University, "U.S. Could Feed 800 Million People with Grain that Livestock Eat," Aug. 1997. ↑

4. UN News Centre, "Rearing Cattle Produces More Greenhouse Gasses than Cars," Nov. 2006. ↑

5. Debbie Howlett, "Lakes of Animal Waste Pose Environmental Risk," USA Today, 30 Dec. 1997, p. A7. ↑

6. Debra L. Donahue, "The Western Range Revisited," 1999. ↑