Reason #8745897 to stop eating meat

"When it comes to global warming, hamburgers are the Hummers of food, scientists say. Simply switching from steak to salad could cut as much carbon as leaving the car at home a couple days a week."

So says an article I read online today. I actually hate meat consumption almost as much as Hummers, but there are few things I hate more than Hummers. Appealing to people's sense of compassion is clearly not the way to go -- because most of you are educated adults, you know where meat comes from, you know the animals are tortured and slaughtered after leading a horrid life, and you still eat meat anyways, don't you? Appealing to your pocket-book hasn't worked either, which I find shocking as Americans don't give a shit about anyone or anything unless it affects their own bottom line. Meat is so much more expensive, on so many levels, than vegetables and grains. But could this environmental 'angle' work?

Now I know some of you, especially in the UK, are saying, "But I only buy organic, free-range meat." Bravo for you (I meant that sarcastically). Sure that is better for your health, but it does almost nothing to help the devastating environmental consequences of meat consumption, although the lives of the animals before they are murdered and consumed are marginally better. And you are still eating the muscle tissue of a sentient, sapient animal with thoughts and feelings and conscience. Cruel and gross. Is that what you want to teach your children?!

Back to the article; "That's because beef is such an incredibly inefficient food to produce and cows release so much harmful methane into the atmosphere, said Nathan Pelletier of Dalhousie University in Canada. Pelletier is one of a growing number of scientists studying the environmental costs of food from field to plate. By looking at everything from how much grain a cow eats before it is ready for slaughter to the emissions released by manure, they are getting a clearer idea of the true costs of food. The livestock sector is estimated to account for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and beef is the biggest culprit. Even though beef only accounts for 30 percent of meat consumption in the developed world it's responsible for 78 percent of the emissions, Pelletier said Sunday at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science... Food is the third largest contributor to the average US household's carbon footprint after driving and utilities, and in Europe - where people drive less and have smaller homes - it has an even greater impact."

Don't you find that shocking?!?

For more information on how to eat a low carbon diet, visit www.eatlowcarbon.org.

And please, for the love of the planet - stop eating meat. Just stop it. You don't need it, it's bad for your body, your karma, your spirit, and the earth.