I heard in a lecture at the U of Oregon that eating vegan is actually as effective at cutting greenhouse gases as giving up driving a car is. I hope this is true because my boyfriend and I have been vegans for several years. I did it for health reasons and now feel glad that it also contributes to the health of the planet. Humus sandwiches, cashew spaghetti with chopped spinach and cauliflower, black beans+rice+corn bread, sweet and sour walnuts with rice, and dahl and rice are a few favorite dishes. It's amazing how easy it is to substitute earth balance for butter, oat milk for milk, and egg replacer for eggs. And a rounded spoonful of rice protein has as much protein as an egg. We add that to cereal in the morning and to pancakes and fruit shakes and cookie recipes, etc. Lastly, we bake pizza crust made of 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1 T olive oil, 1 t baking powder, 1 rounded t rice protein, a half t of salt, and about a half cup of water. Delish, and we hope some of you try it.

I am currently reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma". I knew factory farms (ie feed lots, single crop farms, etc. ) were bad, but this book shows you how bad they are for the environment. Personally I am a vegan and feel I am helping the environment in a small way, plus it is healthier. I shop at the Farmer's Market in our area for our produce, buy organic beans at Trader Joe's, and buy local whenever possible. I convince people by setting a good example. When others see I am eating attractive meals they begin to try alternative foods.

I think vegan is probably the most green and healthful diet. I am a vegetarian, and hope to be a vegan someday. I really enjoy boca burgers and Morningstar Farms breakfast starters and veggie dogs. Very good!

Okay, I'm going to sound 'way out there'. As a healing practioner and animal communicator and advocate for earth and animals, I will share that I have read articles of messages from Mother Earth that said: the original divine blueprint of the human species was NOT designed to eat or digest meat. The eating of meat has happened through the 'fall' of human consciousness into unconsciousness. Also, the animal kingdom has directly shared with me that the entire world, INCLUDING the animal kingdom itself, is headed towards global vegetarianism. Obviously this will take some major biological changes. But hey, we know anything is possible in God's creation. I have been vegan and vegetarian on and off my whole life. An angel 2 years ago told me to become vegetarian again and now I'm becoming vegan. I get my protein from beans (that replaces the meat). I am currently starting to feel guilty eating honey because I feel the sadness in it from the exploitation of the bees. etc. etc. As one of my teachers says, "THE HEART IS THE HUB OF ALL SACRED PLACES. GO THERE AND ROAM." When we connect to the sacredness of life within, we experience that what we do to others we do to ourselves. What we do to ourselves we do to others. The option of hurting any other life form, even a rock, becomes obsolete. Instead of 'Divide and Conquer', how about, 'Conquer the Division through Self-Love and Oneness'.
Blessings to All.

i agree that beef is the worst. HOWEVER, no meat as i understand it can be said to be environmentally friendly. in "livestock's long shadow" (a U.N. report), the livestock industries (meat, dairy, poultry) were found to produce more greenhouse gasses than ALL transport combined!

when you eat meat you are feeding food to your food. billions of gallons of water, pesticide-sprayed corn, antibiotics (that creep into our farm beds, soil, water systems, air) and fungicides later you have an animal that will feed at best a few families for a couple of days. nutritionally, you gleam far less than if you were to eat the greens yourself (if only livestock ate their natural diet!). compounded with an overpopulated planet that equals a scary mess.

the other scary trend i see though is the soy bean industry. people replace too much animal protein (read The China Diet) with too much tofu. soy beans are not only a GMO product, but have some pretty negative health effects. if that doesn't convince you to stay away from soy, it should at least invite moderation.

vegetables, fruits and other plant life use the least amount of resources to thrive. and we thrive the most on them. grain is next in line, using more water and space to grow, but still better than animal flesh and by-products.

i would like to see a new government food pyramid that was a model of nutrition and conservation, rather than a livestock lobbyist's wet dream.

i agree with lara, if you are going to eat meat treat it as a special occasion or a side dish. local and organic is a must as toxins accumulate higher you eat on the food chain. (i.e. better to eat the pesticide-corn than the cow who ate corn everyday of his life)

i am sorry is that was long winded, but i am SO excited to see this topic come up as it seemed to the "inconvenient truth" no one was talking about...

Of course there is no one answer to this question, but what I've learned to do is be a concientious (and concious) consumer. Living in Berkeley, CA there are many options for purchasing food that is more sustainable and here's what I've learned: Buy local!

- Knowing the source of your food and how it was produced will help you in deciding whether it is a good choice for your health and the environment.
- Whole Foods defines local as within 9 hours of their store...my local market defines local as within 150 miles.
- Locally produced foods create less of an impact on the environment because of shorter travel distance.
- Shop the Farmer's Markets! Not only are you supporting your local food system, but your local economy and your neighbors.

I don't think we can ever say don't eat one particular food - this planet depends on the balance of all creatures - but we can become aware of our power as consumers in making a positive impact in how our foods are produced.

An all-veggie diet is the most earth-friendly (and most healthy)

The reference to the Morningstar "sausage" reminds me that several years back GardenBurger made an even better vegetarian sausage patty. But just about when I discovered how good they were, all my available markets ceased stocking it. Whether GardenBurger quit making it I don't know.

I am a personal chef in the Colorado Springs area and I buy my meat from a local company called Ranch Foods Direct. Here is some information from their website, http://www.ranchfoodsdirect.com/RanchFoodsDirect.html...

"Ranch Foods Direct is a retail store and meat packing facility created by rancher Mike Callicrate to bring healthful, high quality, naturally tender meats directly to consumers straight from the ranch.

The goal of this one-of-a-kind program is to create a business that benefits both ranchers and consumers. RFD’s cattle raising, processing, and distribution system assures incomparable quality, wholesomeness, eating satisfaction, and a mutually rewarding relationship of trust and responsibility between the rancher and you the customer.

When you buy from
Ranch Foods Direct, you
are supporting rural
communities and farm
and ranch families who
care for the land and
animals by utilizing
environmentally sound,
humane, and sustainable
production practices."

Aside from meat, I shop at local farmers' markets and local natural food stores to buy locally grown organic fruit and vegetables.

Anyone who still eats meat and thinks they're an environmentalist either just doesn't understand the problem at all or is in denial about it. Intensive animal farming, as the UN recently reported, contributes more greenhouse gases to the environment than all global transportation combined. It is the leading cause of deforestation, too, so it not only produces all those gases, but also depletes our planet's natural filtering system to deal with those gases. And beef cattle are not the only culprit, either. Many of the larger pig farms produce more excrement per day than all of New York City, and without the benefit of sewage treatment plants to deal with it! Its merely dumped into rivers to poisons our waters and land. And anyone who thinks that chickens don't produce much in the way of gases has obviously never been within several miles of a large poultry farm - the noxious fumes are so potent that they sting the eyes of people for miles around (just think what it's like for the chickens INSIDE the shed!). The ONLY way to truly fight climate change is to go vegetarian, and vegan is even better.

I AM VEGETARIAN FOR THE REASONS ABOVE ! AND BECAUSE .....
= I LOVE NATURE AND ANIMALS !
= I WANT TO BE AN EVOLVED SOUL !
= THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO WORLD PEACE !
= THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE PLANET !

Our family has moved away from beef and pork and substituted chicken or turkey in almost all of our meat dishes. One of our favorites is "dinosaur chili" which can be either type of bird, our kids love when we call it that.

We buy free range when available. For eggs we look for organic or "naturally nested" from the northwest where we live. We drink organic milk exclusively. We're now able to find these products even in commercial supermarkets most of the time.

My wife has this suggestion: when making meatloaf with chicken instead of beef, adding tomatoes helps with moisture and taste.

In the Portland OR, area we have an awesome grocery. The people who own and run it make it there mission to work directly with farmers. There is one cooperative lamb and beef farm in the Umpqua Valley that is able to add another sustainable farming family to the co-op every time they build a new grocery store. If grocers and distributors took a stand for a healthy planet, there would be a rise of the local market again all over the world. I get to enjoy eating meet and keep my principals. Demand sustainable from your grocer.

I've read extensively on the environmental effects of different foods and I believe that a vegan diet is definitely the greenest.

By far the most important non-CO2 greenhouse gas is methane, and the number one source of methane worldwide is animal agriculture -- causing nearly half of the planet’s human-induced warming.

Cattle produce most of the methane so eliminating eliminating beef and dairy should be the top priority but overall, eating lower on the food chain consumes fewer resources and most definitely results in a lighter footprint that we leave.

Excellent recipes can be found on http://www.chooseveg.com/

One of my favorite recipes:

Chocolate Lover’s Pudding

1 pound (16 ounces) firm silken tofu
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups vegan chocolate chips, melted (use double boiler or microwave)
¼ cup vegan chocolate chips finely ground for garnish (optional)

Place tofu in food processor and mix until smooth, scraping down sides of processor as necessary.
Add sugar and vanilla.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave or double boiler. Pour melted chocolate into food processor and process until combined.

Pour into serving dishes. Sprinkle with finely ground chocolate chips if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 8 servings
Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Recipe from Sinfully Vegan by Lois Dieterly

Buying from Farmer's Markets, whether you're vegetarian or not, I think is best for the environment and has the added bonus of strengthening community. You meet the people responsible for growing food and it's not trucked across the country. It's not all necessarily organic (I understand the process for becoming certified is onerous), but you have the comfort of knowing it has fewer "food miles".

Vegetarian

While my husband, a.k.a. Chicken Boy, is away on business, I have returned to eating semi-vegetarian. Not only do I feel much more energetic, but garbage output is cut by at least75%, without all the styro packaging. We will buy his meat direct from local farmers, when we get a freezer, but this option isn't available to most folks. Even without the questions surrounding the ethics and sustainability of meat, the negative environmental impact of the packaging is enough to limit my consumption.

I am glad Live Earth finally acknowledges the number one culprit of global warming: the way we eat. No matter how many lightbulbs you exchange for sufficient ones, how much water you save by turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth, saving gas while walking to the grocery store - all that sadly amounts to little compared to what the meat industry wastes. These are also good steps to take, but just look at the following number: just one slaughterhouse uses 1,080,000 millions of gallons of fresh water DAILY. That's precious water, just to wash off some bloody carcasses. 36 states will face severe water shortages in the next five years. (Water usage is taken from an Environmental Draft Report for a planned slaughterhouse in Tulare, California).
Also, with the largest meat recall ever in American history (143 million pounds), there is simply no way we can go on eating like that. I would like to point out that the recall involving Hallmark, Chino slaughterhouse only slaughtered 'spent' dairy cows. So, please, for the vegetarians out there, this is truly another sad fact to consider: cheese and dairy ain't much better than the beef itself. Dairy cows spend all day confined in a dank place, get impregnated until their bodies give out, their babies get taken away a few hours after birth and get either stuffed into a veal crate if male or raised to make another dairy cow. (see www.milksucks.com).
I grew up in farm country, next to a slaughterhouse, so I sadly know too much, and it doesn't matter if it's a small dairy farm or a large feedlot, the filth is the same. All operate to get the most out of it, to the detriment of the animals. There is no such thing as sustainable meat, and there is no such thing as humane slaughter. I'd beg anyone to visit a dairy farm and a slaughterhouse and then rethink their food options. I bet you'd gladly go to the next fruit stand and farmers market. The same of course goes for the chicken factories (98% are battery cage confined hens, the male chicks get tossed or ground up alive. Since chickens and turkeys are exempt from the Humane Slaughtering Act, a lot of them get killed in a truly horrific way and have not even a basic protection by law).
One author I really like is Howard Lyman (yes, the cattle rancher turned vegan who was on Oprah). He can tell it like no one can, first in "Mad Cowboy" and then "No more bull!" (plus recipes!). Thanks to anyone who makes an effort to get informed, and tries out a new animal-free recipe.

I'm not a vegetarian, but I like to eat veggie burgers or chicken burgers instead of hamburgers. I tried to not eat beef most of the time, but I don't want to hassle my friends, so I'm not strict about it... since one of my close friends love beef. I like to eat salad and seafood more now, instead of meat.

I don't eat meat. I respect animals as i respect humans. I lost most of my ideologies as i became older, but since kid i was taught to respect earth as my home. Don't have a car, i walk, i'm healthy.

I am also a big fan of Morningstar Farms sausage links. I don't even eat regular sausage anymore. They also have sausage patties if you prefer. In addition to the breakfast items, I regularly prepare dishes that would require ground beef with the crumbles - including the "Less Meatloaf" recipe from seeveggiesdifferently.com. So many options are available, that while I'm not a vegetarian, I sometimes go days without eating any meat at all. This is not your mother's veggie burger!

My understanding is that the larger the animal, the more resources necessary to sustain them. I've heard the statistic that 50 people can be fed with the amound to grain necessary to produce enough beef to feed only one person. I can't recall where I read it, and can't speak to its validity, but logically this statistic is reasonable.

One also has to consider the slash and burn practices that are occur to clear land for cattle grazing. I stay away from beef entirely and try to eat smaller, free range animals.

I live alone and am a bit of a grazer as a result of being too lazy to cook much. I dislike chicken because of the nasty globules of fat under the skin and because of the fecal soup they are processed in at the factory. Salmon, petrale or red snapper are great when my wish is for fish. I have been eating less red meat in general, but But every few months or so the carnivore in me can only be satisfied with a perfectly broiled bone-in ribeye steak!

I live alone and am a bit of a grazer as a result of being too lazy to cook much. I dislike chicken because of the nasty globules of fat under the skin and because of the fecal soup they are processed in at the factory. Salmon, petrale or red snapper are great when my wish is for fish. I have been eating less red meat in general,but every few months or so the carnivore in me can only be satisfied with a perfectly broiled bone-in ribeye steak!

A regional plant-based diet is the healthiest for our bodies and our planet. The practice of raisin animals for food is the most resource intensive, environmentally destructive means to produce food. Not to mention the inherant cruelty and unneccesary violence of this industry. Animal agriculture is also the top source of greenhouse gases. Eating plant based is in line with progressive values of empathy, environmental responsibility, compassion, and integrity. That's why many of our best progressive leaders have given up dead animals.

People still believe that what they eat will save them from spiritual death... amazing is'nt it? People talking of bad 'Karma' if you eat meat!
Karma is an out dated Indian philosophy [I am an Indian] at best, a result of not knowing the meaning of God's grace. I know that my sins [and those of all who believe] have been paid for in full by the sinless man Jesus who died 2000 years ago.
If you look at environmental reasons to be vegetarian, you will lose. The amount of pesticides and soil damaging chemicals used to grow vegetarian food like cash crops and others is mind boggling! Compare that to low maintainence cattle. Its no contest, buddy!
Respect the environment, be a good steward of Creation.... thats the message of the Bible.

Veganism is direct action, no doubt about it.

Way to go - to finally raise the important subject! I look forward to reading what others have to say and then your addressing - dare i write - the proverbial Gore of an elephant in the room!

omnipotentveggieboy

Want to lower your cholesterol? Vegan foods (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and beans, including tofu) have ABSOLUTELY NO CHOLESTEROL. Some vegan foods, primarily nuts and seeds, do have saturated fat.

Ethical concerns aside, obviously overproduction and consumption of meat will have serious effects on the environment.

However, there are concerns about agriculture as well. Over use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, water contamination and water depletion are all major issues in farming. Also what about fuel spent transporting agricultural products to markets, especially how much the US imports from other countries. Hint...eating fresh IMPORTED summer fruits in the middle of winter is probably not good for the planet emission wise. Even beyond the “everything available year ‘round” issue, we are beginning to import more agriculture than we export. Look at apple and orange juices in the supermarket, they nearly all use imported apple juice. I used to live in Ventura, California and saw orange and lemon groves cut down over and over because they weren’t “profitable”. These are issues that need to be discussed. It's a complex (but of course, not impossible) issue. There are no single solutions but if people are willing to approach it broadly and open mindedly, I certainly think we can all do right by ourselves nutritionally and do right by the planet as well.

hola :
apagen la luz cuando no la usen

Balance is what is required for these crazy times. I believe if everyone made a committment traded in eating meat and dairy for the sake of reforestation projects and growing carbon gobbling crops for 5 years, carbon footprints would be erased. We have sacrificed collectively as a country to support WWII, there's no reason why we can't sacrifice butter and meat again to make our planet safe to live on.

Just wanted to add that we have cut down on meat/chicken/fish to 3-4oz per serveing and doubly the amount of vegetables it has made a tremendous difference since my husband had to lose weight. And we feel much better smaller portions more like Europe and not the giant protions you get here in the states.

I have not eaten meat in more than 40 years. I believe if I were not a vegetarian already, I would have become one. Between the feedlots, antibiotics in the meat, mad cow disease and global warming, meat is toxic.

We could feed and fuel the world if we grew crops on the land on which we raise livestock. It would be more humane to the animals as well.

I do not try to get my friends to eat less meat. They come to the decision on their own.

I was surprised that live earth ignored this issue initially, as the UN said livestock is a major cause of warming:

http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html

Which causes more greenhouse gas emissions, rearing cattle or driving cars?

Surprise!

According to a new report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation.

First of all Organic is heathier. I switch about 10 years ago after a bout with cancer. Not only is my food more sustainable, so am I.
Since I also think that local when possible is greener I am liable to choose that over a particular meat. We can get local organic chickens, beef, and lamb here and lots of wild seafood. However it is very expensive and I don't eat meat everynight like we did 20 years ago. It is more like a couple of nights a week. Other days I combine vegetables and grains for my protein, eggs and cheese both of which are available locally and organic. I prefer eggs from chickens who also free range as the colesterol in those eggs is about 1/3rd of the colesterol in chicken eggs from chickens who sit on a roost all day. In addition I also only drink low sulfite organic wines when having them with dinner. These are becoming more available in my area and I have a choice of about 6 moderately priced wines of several varieties.

We humans must reduce meat consumption to have any chance of controling global warming, as meat production produces at least 20% of greenhouse gasses. Just
america's cheeseburger consumption creates 200,000,000 metr4ic tons of CO2. There is no green meat, as even chicken takes 6 pounds of grain to produce a pound of meat. Laura is taking the right approch, making meat a special ocasion or feast treat. I like Tofurkey, Morningstar farms products as well as Worthington and Bocca products. There are many alternatives to eating meat.

My New Year's resolution was to eat healthier and focus more on my environmental impact. I gave up meat and have focused on eating more organic and natural products.

I've read many books and websites emphasizing the harmful impact beef and chicken have on the environment.

I believe a vegan diet is the best for our bodies and the environment. I am slowly eliminating dairy products as well.

As the UN reported in 2006, animal agriculture is a bigger contributor to greenhouse gases than all human transport.
http://www.fao.org/ag/magazine/0612sp1.htm
Frankly, if SOS were treating this issue commensurate to the actual impact of this sector there would have been a huge push for vegetarianism at the 7/7/7 event, rather than a single terribly conceived video and a couple one-line comments by minor rock stars.

People who want to make a serious and immediate change to their carbon footprint should take a close look at how much meat and dairy they're consumingg and start by cutting it at least in half. Soy and seitan analogs are showing up more and more in mainstream groceries, as are soy and rice milks. And there are now literally dozens of good vegan cookbooks out.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-4828600-2475261?url=search-alia...

Of course it's theoretically possible to eat a meal of locally-produced meat or dairy that will conceivably have a smaller footprint than some out-of-season produce that's been flown halfway around the world, but let's be realistic: Unless you're taking the time and effort to check that out for every plate, don't kid yourself. The default is: More animal protein, more global warming.

If we really wanted to save the planet, we'd tax the hell out of meat. "Sure, you can eat meat! No problem! That'll be 40 bucks for your burger, please." Take the money and start some good environmental programs. Who thinks I can get that through congress?

well i can say that i'm a lacto-vegetarian person because it'healthy,it doesn't affect the environment and it's VERRY DELICIOS.I hope that someday soon all the people wil become lacto-vegetarian or vegan or at least eat only chicken and fish.but 4 that to happend first u have to change yourself and then the world.

vegetarianism is a great all-rounder lifestyle. when being vegetarian is a proper diet, you not only have a better lifestyle and energy levels, but you are helping to protest against the mass consumption and unneccessary slaughter of australia's animals.

Vegan- Plants do not pollute the air and land and help supply oxygen (even if they are intended to be harvested, there is a heavy rotation that keep several varieties growing at the same time).

Also- for decency's sake of not harming beings who are innocent.

A recent study at Cornell found that in places like New York where a lot of farmland is better for growing feed for livestock than food for humans, a diet with some meat is actually more efficient than a vegetarian or vegan diet (if you're eating locally, of course).

And for that meat, of course it would ideally be organic and grass fed...

I am senior citizen vegan and have been for a long time (both). I taught a class to other Senior Citizens about beef, the cost of care, feeding, and water use to sustain grazing for the herds.We also talked about the future of potable water and the cost of leasing public land for grazing. I now live in a Senior Citizen apartment and share my recipes with other tenants. Many of our tenants have given up red meat and are staring on a good vegan diet. They now know that you can fix Tofu in a lot of different ways. They eat scrambled tofu sauteed with onions and red peppers, a pinch of salt and turmeric for color and love the taste. People just need to be educated.
Dorli

My daughter and I recently switched to Vegan meals and not only feel more healthy, but feel better about the impact we're having - LESS impact. We're both fans of The Compassionate Cook, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and her incredible cookbook "The Joy of Vegan Baking." She has great information, a great podcast that's educated both my daughter and me on WHY it's a great choice to eat Vegan!

Here's something I wonder about all the time. What if we only eat what we need for a healthy, nutritious lifestyle? HHMMMmm if all the giant platters of food were cut in half throughout the nation, wow! That'd reduce the strain on the planet and reduce us.

I became mostly vegan after the big Live Earth event last year. I figured I'd take the PETA challenge, 30 days, and it's been several months and I am so happy with my decision.

OK, I've cheated when I've traveled (conch in the Bahamas - yum!), I had some cheese over Christmas (I'm human!), but by and large, I don't eat or make things that come from animals. It's not about perfectionism! It's about reducing the consumption of meat in this crazy bottom-line driven, resource consuming industry we have.

Believe me when I say that I was the one for whom the meat lover's pizza was designed. And yet I've learned to love everything the plant world has to offer. I feel better than ever, and that animals don't suffer for my desires is a beautiful side benefit. I've become more compassionate and merciful in every choice I make.

Please know that it's not about stringency. Buy locally and humanely as much as possible, but if your contribution is just to lessen the burden on our earth by eating less animal products, you are my hero.

we just have to eat vegan or vegetarian for the sake of our planet since it has been reported by united nations. For saving planet is a big, critical & important issue, i think government has to do something regarding this.

I just wanted to chime in for those vegans eating lots of processed soy products. They can contain bio engineered soy from huge agribusiness. Try growing you own soy beans or getting locally produced tofu.

Soy does have a good deal of phytoestrogen activity so it is not a good choice for children especially young boys.

I agree with everyone saying that eating locally is the most sustainable even if it includes an occasional serving of humanely raised meat.