Sunday November 22nd, 2009
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A pound of meat requires 441 gallons of water to produce...
Posted by yournewbestfriend on July 7, 2008 - 5:51pm.
This is from my blog. I wrote it a couple weeks ago but can't get it out of my head. I've been an avid reuser, recycler, and waste reducer my whole life, and never did I know that eating meat was screwing the planet way more than not recycling would have. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
"Everytime I shower, wash my car, or run
my dishwasher, I conciously feel bad about the water I'm wasting.
Little did I know that eating meat wastes way more water than my 15
minute shower. Once I add up all of the water it takes to grow food for
the animals, water their fields, and keep them hydrated, I learn that
eating a pound of meat is like throwing 441 gallons of water down the
street. That would take a while...
"The meat industry is a major
cause of fresh water depletion. According to Ed Ayres, of the World
Watch Institute, "Pass up one hamburger, and you’ll save as much water
as you save by taking 40 showers with a low-flow nozzle."
[www.chooseveg.com]
One
hamburger requires that much water!? Had I known earlier, I would have
always opted for the veggie burger at in'n'out. It's not just
hamburgers though. It's those meaty sandwiches and chicken salads that
are using up all of our water, too. Here's to opting out of meat and
doing my part to prevent the daunting water crisis."
visit my blog at www.onevegetarian.blogspot.com
Thanks to people like you, this information is finally getting out there.
While PETA makes a point of talking about the environmental advantages of a vegan diet, environmental groups won't touch the vegan issue with a ten-foot pole. Why? Are they afraid of alienating hypocrites or something?
The bottom line is you cannot be an environmentalist who eats meat. All issues of animal cruelty, sustainable agriculture, and habitat preservation aside, the staggering amount of resources that goes into meat farming should make every single treehugger put down the steak knife.
Interestingly enough, the corporate parent of Lime.com publishes several local magazines that seem to constantly glorify meat-eating, and greenwash it at the same time.
Check this out:
http://www.wholelifetimes.com/2008/07/tastebuds0807.html
As if fish FLOWN to Los Angeles from Scotland, New Zealand or Thailand should be considered "sustainable" or environmentally responsible in any way. Snort.
It is so true - aside from animal cruelty and health issues, eating meat is completely detrimental to the health of our beautiful planet (in peril).
The meat and dairy industry contribute more to our country's carbon emissions than all of transportation COMBINED. Isn't that crazy?
This also is an easy way to get veg-harassers off of your back - a lot of people just think you are a big hippie who cares too much about animal's feelings - but adding the environmental issue adds a lot of street cred.
PS so disappointing about Whole Life Times. I read them often...
I can tell you and I are on the same page with this. It absolutely infuriates me how almost anything in the "conscious media" about diet and the environment is really just a promotion for so-called sustainable meat.
You probably know of Colleen Patrick Goudreau, the "Compassionate Cooks" maven and cookbook author. She does a great job (almost singlehandedly) of putting two and two and two together. She has some good podcasts on her site - google compassionate cooks.