From the Washington Post, by James E. McWilliams I gave a talk in South Texas recently on the environmental virtues of a vegetarian diet. As you might imagine, the reception was chilly. In fact, the only applause came during the Q&A period when a member of the audience said that my lecture made him want …
Jan
15
Oily Food
From Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: Americans put almost as much fossil fuel into our refrigerators as our cars. We’re consuming about 400 gallons of oil a year per citizen – about 17 percent of our nation’s energy use – for agriculture, a close second to our vehicular use. Tractors, combines, harvesters, irrigation, sprayers, tillers, balers, and …
Jan
13
Carbon Footprint Of Food
A Swedish fast-food chain, called Max Burger, is trying to discourage people from eating too much meat by publishing the carbon footprint of each item on its menu. From the methane produced by the cows, to the machinery used on the farm, through to the emissions produced by the slaughterhouses and the trucks that deliver the …
Aug
04
Meat's Not Green: Water
Nearly half of the water used in the U.S. is squandered on animal agriculture. Between watering the crops grown to feed farm animals, providing drinking water for billions of animals each year, and cleaning the filthy factory farms, transport trucks, and slaughterhouses, the farmed animal industry places a serious strain on our water supply. According …
Jun
12
Meat's Not Green
To most people, “going green” means recycling, switching to energy-efficient light bulbs, using cloth grocery bags, and carpooling. What most people don’t know is that eating vegetarian is just about the greenest thing you can do. The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook states that “refusing meat” is “the single most effective thing you can …
