Living Without Meat

AFP, an independent news network, published this article today. I think it speaks for itself, so here it is as it appeared online.

Hamburgers are the Hummers of food in global warming: scientists

CHICAGO (AFP) — 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.

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.

That’s because a single kilogram of beef produces 16 kilograms carbon dioxide equivalent emissions: four times higher than pork and more than ten times as much as a kilogram of poultry, Pelletier said.

If people were to simply switch from beef to chicken, emissions would be cut by 70 percent, Pelletier said.

Another part of the problem is people are eating far more meat than they need to.

“Meat once was a luxury in our diet,” Pelletier said. “We used to eat it once a week. Now we eat it every day.”

If meat consumption in the developed world was cut from the current level of about 90 kilograms a year to the recommended level of 53 kilograms a year, livestock related emissions would fall by 44 percent.

“Given the projected doubling of (global) meat production by 2050, we’re going to have to cut our emissions by half just to maintain current levels,” Pelletier said.

“Technical improvements are not going to get us there.”

That’s why changing the kinds of food people eat is so important, said Chris Weber, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania.

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.

“Food is of particular importance to a consumer’s impact because it’s a daily choice that is, at least in theory, easy to change,” Weber said.

“You make your choice every day about what to eat, but once you have a house and a car you’re locked into that for a while.”

The average US household contributes about five tons of carbon dioxide a year by driving and about 3.5 tons of equivalent emissions with what they eat, he said.

“Switching to no red meat and no dairy products is the equivalent of (cutting out) 8,100 miles driven in a car … that gets 25 miles to the gallon,” Weber said in an interview following the symposium.

Buying local meat and produce will not have nearly the same effect, he cautioned.

That’s because only five percent of the emissions related to food come from transporting food to market.

“You can have a much bigger impact by shifting just one day a week from meat and dairy to anything else than going local every day of the year,” Weber said.

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

.

I strive to learn something new every day. Here’s what I learned today …

It’s becoming quite the trend nowadays for government officials, environment-related offices, and other departments striving to help make their community “green” to send out a public plea for people to eat less meat.

The Office of Environmental Quality in Cincinnati, Ohio, released a Green Cincinnati Action Plan that recommended encouraging reduced meat consumption among individuals and institutions. Read the full report.

Germany’s federal environment agency is strongly urging citizens to reduce their meat intake to only one meal per week, just as it was during the depression. The agency suggests having meat as a treat during Sunday dinner, as it was also once popular to do. Read more about Germany’s story.

The Chicago, Illinois, health commissioner, Dr. Terry Mason, is challenging his city to join in him in consuming a meat-free diet for the fourth consecutive year. Usually he suggests eating completely vegetarian for the month of January. This year, however, he plans to make it a personal health change for himself! Read an article about this.

The United Kingdom’s government, including the National Health Service, has pledged to reduce British greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, and has reported that having a meat-free day each week is the biggest contribution people could make. In support of a more plant-based diet, hospitals are increasing their vegetarian options. Read about the U.K.’s suggestion.

Isn’t this fascinating? I love seeing such strong governmental support for vegetarianism! If you’d like to see a similar cause in your area, consider writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper urging your local government to do the same. Click on the picture to learn more about how meat negatively effects the environment.

If you’ve spent more than five minutes perusing the Internet today, then you’ve probably come across an article - or 700 - about the New York man who wants his donated kidney back. Apparently, Dr. Richard Batista donated a kidney to his wife, Dawnell, when hers were failing. Then she cheated on him and filed for divorce. Now, the scorned ex-husband is demanding either $1.5 million or his kidney back.

Think of the legal precedent that this case could set. For transplant patients, yes, but also for animals in testing facilities. There could be a massive class-action lawsuit against labs, on behalf of the animals. They could sue to get back their missing body parts. They could sue for restitution, damages, emotional trauma, intentional harm, manslaughter, murder …

Okay, so this case probably won’t set any precedent, and no one will probably ever be able to sue on behalf of lab rats, but animal testing is a serious, inhumane issue.

The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection estimates that 50 to 100 million vertebrate animals are used annually in testing facilities worldwide. Educate yourself about animal testing at the Humane League of Philadelphia’s Web site.

Discover which brands test on animals and which don’t at Caring Consumer.

Nathan Runkle, the 24-year-old founder and executive director of Mercy for Animals who is openly gay, was brutally assaulted the morning of Saturday, December 27, in an apparent hate crime. The attack, which was reportedly unprovoked, occured at Masque, a gay night club in Dayton, Ohio.

Police are investigating, without any leads yet except that the attacker is believed to be a white male with no prior relationship with Runkle. According to Queering Animal Liberation, “Runkle was briefly hospitalized after sustaining two facial fractures, a broken nose, deviated septum, and severe facial bruising.”

Mercy for Animals is a national, animal rights nonprofit with offices in Chicago, Illinois, and Columbus, Ohio, was founded by Runkle in 1999, when he was only a teenager. The campaigns run by MFA over the past nine years have been profound, including free vegetarian starter kits, vegetarian feed-ins, undercover investigations, and an animal rights-minded writers’ group.

MFA made headlines earlier this year after releasing shocking undercover investigation footage of hens at a California egg farm crammed into filthy cages. The investigation resulted in grocery giant Trader Joe’s dropping the cruel farm as a supplier. The photo shown here is Runkle at a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 6, 2008, talking about this investigation.

Runkle is a well-known name and face in the animal rights and vegetarian movements. He was recently named one of the world’s “25 Most Fascinating Vegetarians” by Veg News magazine.

Gay or straight, vegetarian or meat eater, there is no denying that Runkle has demonstrated incredible drive and compassion in his still young life. And for someone to attack him - or anyone - at random is a truly disgusting thing.

Don’t miss Gene Baur, president and founder of Farm Sanctuary and author of Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food, and Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the U.S., on CNN’s Headline News show Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell tomorrow evening.

During the first half of the show, Velez-Mitchell discusses shelter-specific issues such as puppy mills, overcrowding, and adoption with Pacelle; Carole Davis, actress, animal advocate, and author of The Diary of Jinky: Dog of a Hollywood Wife; and Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue. The second half features Baur on the lives of animals raised for food.

The episode, titled Special Investigation: Animal Issues, originally aired on Christmas Day, but will air again tomorrow, New Year’s Day, at 7 p.m. EST in the U.S. Check your local listings ahead of time to ensure that you don’t miss it. A rough transcript of the show is available now on CNN.com.

This time last year, the Humane Society announced to the public that many top designers and labels were using real animal fur in products labeled as faux, and were selling raccoon dog fur under the false label of raccoon. The time line of their investigation from winter 2006 to December 2007 can be read by clicking here.

And now there’s a new development: the Humane Society is suing, on our, the consumers, behalf, retailers that allegedly knowingly sold or advertised mislabeled fur. The lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C., Superior Court under the Consumer Protection Procedures Act and is specifically going after Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s (which owns Bloomingdale’s), Dillard’s, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, and the parent company of Andrew Marc. The lawsuit also alleges that these six retailers are in violation of the federal Fur Products Labeling Act and Federal Trade Commission Act.

Rebecca Judd, senior attorney with the Humane Society noted that these six offenders were all sent letters alerting them that some of their products were found to be incorrectly labeled in regards to fur. All six continue to sell mislabeled fur.

The only one that responded to the Wall Street Journal was Julia Bentley, senior vice president of investor relations and communications at Saks. Bentley assured that the one jacket sold online through Saks.com that tested positive for mislabeling, was promptly removed. In 2007, Charles Jayson, chief executive of Andrew Marc, stated that the accusations were false, and that all Andrew Marc clothing was and is correctly labeled.

The lawsuit was filed Monday, November 24, and the named companies have 20 days to respond.

Read the full story as written by the Associated Press.

Read the Humane Society’s opinion and statements at President Wayne Pacelle’s blog.

When the news hit yesterday that Alicia Silverstone is writing a book about veganism called The Kind Diet, I could not have been more excited. I did not think it was possible for me to be disappointed related to this publishing announcement. However, I am.

While the book sounds phenomenal - read more about the theory and recipe book at Ecorazzi - it is being published by Rodale, which is where my disappointment enters.

I work by day as an editor, and have considered applying for a job at Rodale numerous times. As a job with this healthly lifestyle-based publishing company would mean a move away from the city of Philadelphia, I have not applied (yet). But just think! If I had applied, and they had hired me, I could be working on Alicia Silverstone’s vegan book!

Alas, I must wait with the rest of the world for The Kind Diet to release next fall to catch a glimpse of the knowledge this once Clueless beauty has to offer.

“The book explores the connection between what we put in our bodies and what we’re doing to the planet, and how choosing the right foods in the kitchen can help you feeling lighter, sexier, and more alive than you ever thought possible,” according to Rodale’s press release. “The book will include a three-step diet program and 75 vegan and macrobiotic recipes.”

Rodale has been a strong force in healthy books and magazines. In the past, the company turned out Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and Eat This, Not That! by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. Rodale’s magazines include Men’s Health, Prevention, Women’s Health, Runner’s World, Best Life, Bicycling, Running Times, and Organic Gardening.

Maybe one day, when my current apartment’s lease is nearing an end, I’ll man up and send Rodale my resume and then I too can get a sneak peak editing awesome vegan books.

After the conclusion of America’s election season, congratulations are in order … to Californian farm animals!

Although still destined to be mass bred, raised, and slaughtered in a factory-style setting, Cali chickens, pigs, and baby cows can thank the voters of their state for starting to make changes.

California ballot proposal, Proposition 2, passed last night with an early lead showing at least 60 percent of voters supporting the measure. From here, the process begins for removal of all battery cages (for chickens), veal crates (for baby cows), and gestation crates (for pregnant pigs).

The passing of Prop 2 means a ban on these three forms of cruel confinement in the state of California. It is a phasing out process: 2015 is the deadline for 100 percent cage- and crate- free farms.

Read more about what this means for the future of California farm animals by clicking on either of the victory pictures shown here. The red banner is Farm Sanctuary’s and will redirect you to their Prop 2 page; the “We did it!” chickens are from the Humane Society and will take you to President Wayne Pacelle’s blog.

With less than a week to go until election day, I am still trying to find someone to vote for who supports life regardless of species or age. At this point, I’d even be content with a happy medium. Neither of the two major party candidates - John McCain and Barack Obama - are getting my vote, so I have to find someone else. I looked at four candidates from other parties, but still came up without a solution.

Today’s candidates are not likely to be found on your official ballot; however, as names that were once in the running for an official Republican or Democrat bid, they all have write-in potential. Here are 3 more presidential candidates (one of whom I’ve decided to vote for!) and their standing on the two issues of most concern to me: animals and the environment (1), and abortion (2).

* Mitt Romney (Rep.): (officially he has withdrawn from the race, but I’m sure he wouldn’t say “no thanks” if elected)
1. He wants to toughen emissions standards and tests for big oil companies, and has said that he will always choose public health interests first. He supports opening wildlife refuges for drilling.
2. Was pro-choice until December 2007 when he declared that he was now pro-life.

* Ron Paul:
1. Voted against every positive animal rights bill possible, on issues including slaughter of horses, dog fighting, farm animals, and downers.
2. “Abortion is murder.”

* Hillary Clinton:
1. Humane Society ranked her as 100 percent pro-animal rights, stating that she not only voted in support of animals, but was also a leader who initiated animal support. Likewise, the League of Conservative Voters ranked her as 89 percent pro-environment.
2. “Make abortion rare by supporting adoption and foster care.” Clinton believes that the key to reducing abortion, which is “a sad, tragic choice,” is to educate teens, provide birth control, and make adoption more affordable and easier.

Well, that settles it for me. I am now a Hillary Clinton supporter even if I am perhaps a little late to the game. Don’t forget: on November 4 you have more than two choices!

Popular social networking site Twitter is potential breeding grounds for terrorist in the Army’s mind, according to a FOX News’ recent report.

Need proof? Just look at who uses the Web site now: people who “support extremist ideologies and perspectives,” which includes vegetarians. The article also sites Twitter users such as human rights groups, communists, anarchists, religious communities, atheists, and political enthusiasts, all of which were named by the U.S. Army as extremists that currently use Twitter as an operational tool. And the last thing this country needs is an opportunity for passionate people to share their thoughts and concerns about religion, human rights, or democracy with like-minded folk worldwide.

In other FOX News reports a giant spider was caught on film eating a bird in an Australian backyard, experts declare that zombie cell phone attacks may be next, and a buried Antarctic mountain range shouldn’t exist at all!

Yea. So I’ll take this stereotypical attempt at an insult with a grain of “it’s only FOX (and statements from one narrow-minded representative of the U.S. Army) - what do they know?” salt. I, for one, am proud to be lumped together with other such thinkers (minus the terrorists, of course).

Check out the full article - U.S. Army Says Blogging Site ‘Twitter’ Could Become Terrorist Tool - on FOXNews.com.

If you aren’t familiar with the social networking tool Twitter, check out what the buzz is all about. It’s an online place for you to keep in touch with friends and family by constantly posting your answer to one simple question: “what are you doing?”

If you are like me, and are not wanting to vote for either Obama or McCain, then don’t forget that you have other options. I know it’s a long shot that an alternative party’s candidate will win, but it will never happen unless people start to realize that we have more choices. And in a monumental election with results likely leading to either our first black president or first woman vice, why not stir things up a little more?

There are at least 14 parties that have elected a candidate to represent them (an additional 25 are recognized in only one state), including Democrats and Republicans. However, only six, including Obama and McCain, will be on enough state ballots to win a majority in the U.S. Electoral College.

Here are four third-party candidates with potential to win, and their standing on the two issues of most concern to me: animals and the environment (1), and abortion (2).

* Ralph Nader and V.P. running mate Matt Gonzalez, nominated by several independent parties including Peace and Freedom:

1. Extreme advocate for the environment, especially National Parks.
2. In support of a woman’s right to choose; does not believe it is the government’s place to dictate anything regarding abortion.

* Cynthia McKinney and V.P. running mate Rosa Clemente, backed by the Green Party:

1. Sounds like the planet’s BFF: stresses our need for realistic, environmentally friendly policy. She promises to push for more sustainable resources and organic farming.
2. Wow. If ever there was a time to call some pro-abortion (as oppose to just for a woman’s right to choose) … she supports it all, even partial-birth abortions and abortions for minors.

* Bob Barr and V.P. running mate Wayne Allyn Root, supported by the Libertarian party:

1. Supports drilling in protected land. Said that “human beings are more important than mussels … human survival trumps shellfish reproduction ….”
2. More pro-life than Bush; has voted for every ban possible, and even to reverse Bush’s policy allowing funding for “family planning.”

* Chuck Baldwin and V.P. running mate Darrell Castle, supported by independent and the Constitution parties.

1. Speaks up primarily about Eminent Domain (he thinks it’s crap) and oil. To break America’s dependency on OPEC, we need “more drilling; more refineries; more nuclear power plants.”
2. “Abortion is America’s national holocaust.”

Each candidates name is linked to their official campaign Web site. For non-bias information on these and other issues and candidates, check out OntheIssues.org.

Next up: candidates with write-in potential a.k.a. the names you’ll recognize as former contenders for the Republican or Democratic nomination.

Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle will be a guest today, October 14, on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He will talk more about California’s Proposition 2, and will appear alongside front men from the agribusiness industry. Wayne will be going head-to-head with his fellow guests, arguing the issues surrounding the statue.

The reach of the Humane Society’s Proposition 2 campaign is continually impressing me, as is talk show hosts’ increasing support for animal causes. Wayne Pacelle had a monumental appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show three weeks ago, which was followed by an appearance by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) president, and then an announcement that Ellen is now leading a vegan life.

The “Yes! on Prop 2″ campaign has set out to educate people, especially California voters, about a landmark animal-rights proposition that will be on the California state ballot this November. By voting in support of Proposition 2, voters will be supporting the creation of stricter regulations for factory farms. If passed, the proposition, which is also called Standards for Confining Farm Animals, would add a chapter to California’s Health and Safety Code to “prohibit the confinement of certain farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to tum around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs.” In essence: no more battery cages for chickens, veal crates for newborn calves, or gestation crates for pregnant pigs.

In addition the the HSUS, many other organizations, veterinarians, and media have added their support to Prop 2. These include, but are in no way limited to: the New York Times; Farm Sanctuary; Sierra Club; Consumer Federation of America; California Democratic Party; California Council of Churches; Center for Food Safety; Union of Concerned Scientists; and over 700 vets, 150 vet students, 140 animal-based organizations, 100 farmers, and 90 clinics and hospitals in California. To see the full list, including celebrities, religious groups, politicians, nonprofits, and newspapers, click here.

Writer David Foster Wallace was found dead in his apartment last Friday, September 12. The news spread quickly, especially since the circumstances were announced as an apparent suicide (he was found hung). He had a large following of fans that are in mourning over the loss of a great writer. His best-known work, Infinite Jest was included in Time’s 2006 list of “100 best English language novels from 1923 to the present.”

But when I heard the news, I didn’t recognize his name or novel title. After further reading about Wallace, I realize that I have read one of his articles that went on to inspire the title of one of his short story collections: Consider the Lobster.

Originally published in Gourmet magazine in August 2004, Consider the Lobster reviewed the then 56-year-old Maine Lobster Festival and its traditions … with an animal rights twist as eluded to by the title. It is a well-written, thought-provoking piece, and you should read it.

It was a gutsy move - submitting an article that looked at an animal as something other than dinner to a foodie magazine. It was an even gutsier, and later controversial, move by Gourmet to publish it.

In 2005, Wallace put together a collection of essays and short stories that he had written over the years, and Consider the Lobster was not only included, but became the title piece (cover shown here).

If in no other way, pay respect to a man who broke barriers in the food versus animal debate by reading David Foster Wallace’s article Consider the Lobster.

I’ve been debating what and when I wanted to say something about vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. But I’ve decided that I won’t spend my time questioning how someone can call herself pro-life, then shoot an animal for fun. I’m not going to stand on my animal rights pedestal and comment about how the polar bear is endangered regardless of what Palin chooses to believe. I will restrain from making controversial statements about how I think it is better to hunt your own meat than to eat that provided by a factory farm. And no, I won’t even wax philosophical about Palin’s desire to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Instead of doing any of that, I will simply leave you with this, a picture of a younger Sarah Palin on a hunting trip with her daughter and a bloody caribou as provided by her father to The Sun.

Click on the photo to read the accompanying article about how proud daddy Palin is that his little girl learned to hunt, fish, and butcher a carcass by 10 years old.

Ellen Degeneres and Portis de Rossi are one of Hollywood’s longest lasting relationships. Over the weekend of August 15-16, the two wed in Los Angeles, after recent laws have made same-sex marriages legal in the state of California. Ellen is not a vegetarian. Neither is Portia. Their recent wedding, however, was completely vegan.

Ellen has made animal rights headlines a lot this past year. First, she gave away her recently adopted puppy to friends because he was not working out with her current pets, and the SPCA was not happy. Then she bought her own dog food company. And after Oprah’s own heart, she featured two vegan authors. (Read about several of these and more on Ecorazzi).

Now this. A vegan dinner for every guest, followed by a gorgeous vegan cake. The food was prepared by their personal chef David Silberkleit, and Sweet Lady Jane created the vegan red velvet cake. Ellen and Portia were featured on the August 22 issue of People magazine, in which you can read all about their special day.