Allow me a brief moment of self-righteousness

[rebeccmeister]

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that livestock are responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions, including 9% of all carbon dioxide emissions, 37% of methane, and 65% of nitrous oxide. This translates into the production of an extra 1.5 tons of carbon-dioxide equivalent per American meat-eater (compared to vegetarians), and makes changes in vehicle emissions look utterly piddling. In comparison, switching from driving a sedan to driving a hybrid car is estimated to save 1 ton of carbon-dioxide equivalent.

Think about it for a while.

/soapbox

Comments

[mokey4.livejournal.com]

hm.. if people would just cut down on meat it would do some good, y'know, use it for a little flavoring instead of a big old cut of steak.

of course, i'm trying to justify my pseudo-vegetarian ways.

[rebeccmeister.livejournal.com]

Michael Pollan, in a recent article in the New York Times Magazine, had similar advice: treat meat as a side dish, not the main course. Every little bit makes a difference. I don't think it's useful to feel guilty about food choices, but it *is* useful to think about them carefully!

[mokey4.livejournal.com]

yeah, there's enough guilt in life! i have discovered that i like soups made with meat stock, but i still don't want little bits of meat floating in them, unless it's fish or chicken. and if i accidentally get a pork eggroll instead of a veggie spring roll, i'm at the point where i will eat it and try to enjoy it as a new and exotic thing.