Well, my lovely readers, it’s that time of year again… when we all turn our thoughts to the planet and how we can keep it clean and tidy for future generations.  That’s right, I’m talking about Earth Day.  I think it’s safe to say that the general consensus is that we only have this one planet to live on, and we haven’t been doing the best job of taking care of it.  Now, while April 22 isn’t the only day that we should all be “green,” I still love Earth Day and use it as an opportunity to examine my own habits and think about how I can do better in the future.  I’ve planted a garden, switched to using eco-friendly cleaning and personal care products almost exclusively, and committed to buying local and/or organic as much as possible.  These are all things that we can do day in, day out to keep our Mama Earth fresh.

But if you want to take it to another level, there’s one thing you can do that beats out almost any other personal action you can take to better the environment: eat less meat.  I’m not saying you have to go vegetarian or vegan (although it would be totally rock ‘n roll if you did), but even reducing your meat consumption just a little bit will have a huge impact.  Here are the facts:

• One quarter of the Earth’s surface, one third of its arable land, is dedicated to livestock (that includes both the space the animals themselves take up, and the space devoted to growing their feed) (source).  That’s a lot of land that could be put to other uses – like growing grain and vegetable crops to feed the poorest and hungriest people in the world.
• In 2009 Elke Stehfest, a Dutch scientist, reported to the Copenhagen Climate Congress that if people in Europe and the United States switched to a plant-based diet, they could free up an area of land equivalent to Russia and Canada combined, which could be replanted as forest (source).  Since we know that plants suck up carbon dioxide, that would have a huge impact in reducing emissions – representing up to a 70% decrease in climate change mitigation costs by 2050 (source).  However, Stehfest cautions that if we don’t change our eating habits, by 2050 we will have to cut our emissions by two-thirds, to the tune of some $40 trillion (source).
• Cows emit methane gas, which is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (source).  Experts disagree on what percentage of greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to animal agriculture, with Science Daily estimating that animal agriculture (including feed, production, and transport) accounts for 18% of our greenhouse gas emissions (source) and Worldwatch International placing its estimate at more than 50% (source).  One thing we can all agree on is that fewer factory farms = fewer emissions.
• For every 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of beef, farmers must feed a cow 15 kilograms of grain (which requires energy-intensive fertilizer to grow) and 30 kilograms of forage (source).  45 kilograms of input for every 1 kilogram of output is about as inefficient a production as you can find.
• The Natural Resources Defense Council has warned that factory farms are major polluters, producing massive levels of nitrates, a toxic substance that contaminates groundwater and has been linked to higher than average numbers of miscarriages and other health problems, in areas where wells are drawn nearby (source).  Cattle manure runoff is believed to cause E.coli (source) – gross!
• Scientists at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University calculated that the average American household emits 8.1 tons of carbon dioxide due to its meat consumption, but driving a car that gets 25 miles per gallon of gas, 12,000 miles a year (also the American average) yields only 4.4 tons of carbon dioxide (source).  So we are basically taxing the environment almost twice as much at dinner as we are on our commutes!
• Many scientists regard avian influenza (the bird flu) as having been caused by pathogens related to changes in livestock feed (source and source).  The current practices of animal agriculture have frightening consequences for human health.  And I’m not even talking about the thousands of statistically significant correlations between animal protein consumption and “Western” diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer (source).

Now, while I think it would be awesome if everyone transitioned to a plant-based diet – I firmly believe that we would be healthier and so would our Earth – I’m a realist.  I know that there are those of you out there who love a burger or a roast chicken, and I don’t want to scare you away.  But please consider reducing your meat consumption, even just a little.  Meatless Mondays are a great place to start.  After all, even reducing your meat one day per week is better than doing nothing at all!  And heck, even Mario Batali is jumping on the Meatless Monday train!

So while I know that there are those of you out there who do like your meat, please consider trying replacing your meaty meals with some savory and Earth-friendly veg a few times a week.  You could make pizza Margherita at home, have lentils instead of meat in your Bolognese sauce, or whip up a savory tempeh hash or Shepherdess pie.  Look around my vegan and vegetarian archives or explore some of the other veggie blogs that are cooking up amazing meals on a daily basis.  Meatless meals are healthy and delicious, and even going meatless just once or a few times each week has a positive impact on the environment.  And if you want to dial it up and think about going completely veg, give me a shout – I’ll be happy to share my personal tips and thoughts with you.  The compassionate will inherit the Earth!

How will you celebrate Earth Day this year?