The Best Way to Celebrate Earth Day

Written by PETA

Posted 04-22-2011

Happy Earth Day 2011! If you rode your bike to work today or planted a tree, that's fantastic. But if you're passing on meat and dairy products today to help the planet, that's even better.

For damage to the environment, meat takes the icky, Earth-destroying first-place prize. Consider the following:

Producing a single pound of meat emits the same amount of greenhouse gases as driving 40 miles in an SUV.
It takes 10 times as much fossil fuel to produce one calorie from animal protein as it does to make one calorie from plant protein.
Animals raised for food in the U.S. produce 89,000 pounds of waste per second without the benefit of waste-treatment systems.
If every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and opted for plant-based foods instead, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off of U.S. roads.

Celebrate Earth Day today by opting for delicious, meat-free dishes and sharing this with your eco-conscious Facebook friends.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Tags:

factory farming, Earth Day, global-warming gas nitrous oxide, fossil fuel, dairy products

Recent Comments

Alexandra commented:

Jun 13, 2012 12:14 PM

Woah! I’m truly searching your tetmlape/theme with this website. It’s straightforward, however effective. Very often it’s tough to get that “perfect balance” between usability along with overall look. I must say you’ve completed an excellent job with this particular. Furthermore, your blog lots extremely swift for me personally in Opera. Fantastic Weblog!
Ashley commented:

Apr 26, 2011 12:26 AM

Ralpy, all it takes is an understanding of basic math to see that the input of resources that goes into producing a pound of meat dwarfs the resources necessary to produce a pound of plant-based food. Do your homework!
Mike Quinoa commented:

Apr 25, 2011 9:43 PM

Ralph, CO2 is not the main problem in regards to animal agriculture. Methane and nitrous oxide generated in livestock production have far greater detrimental effects as greenhouse gases. That's why the UN's report, Livestock's Long Shadow, found animal agribusiness more culpable in wreaking planetary havoc than all the cars, trucks, aircraft and ships in the world combined. And as far as insects and small animals dying in the harvesting of vegan/vegetarian food, that is true. But a "meat" animal eats many times his/her own weight in plants to produce that meat. Us eating the plant food at source is much more efficient. In other words, if you eat meat you contribute far more to the collateral killing of insects and field animals through machines that harvest plant food for livestock feed, than you would if you pursued a vegetarian or vegan diet.
MeganAshley commented:

Apr 24, 2011 1:10 PM

I love that picture! But I think it's incredible how much not eating meat can save the world.
Chef Mark commented:

Apr 23, 2011 10:48 AM

I think it is really significant for us in the West to hear that 200 citizens of China stopped a truck load of dogs going to be slaughtered for human consumption and saved these animals. It shows me that compassion runs deep in humanity, it is the poison of greed that warps our rational and makes some of us do despicable deeds. It is awareness and compassion that stops this diease of greed. Blessings to the wisdom of the Chinese people and all others that see through this illusion that has such a death grip on humanity.
Arianna commented:

Apr 22, 2011 4:43 PM

Cool!!! I haven't eaten meat in 2 years, 2 months, one week, and one day!
yolibeth commented:

Apr 22, 2011 3:09 PM

this is awesome. love the picture

The Best Way to Celebrate Earth Day

How Many Animals Have You Saved? Find Out!

PETA's Top Six Videos for National Dairy Month

RIP, Vicky: 10-Month-Old SeaWorld Orca Dies in Captivity

The Big Bucks Behind 'Ag-Gag' Bills

James Cameron Uses Award Speech to Tell Everyone to Go Vegan

Riveting New Film May Change the Way the World Thinks About Animals

PETA's Seven Cutest Cat Ads Ever

SeaWorld Slammed With Federal Fine Over Unsafe Conditions

Did Johnny Depp Go Vegan for the Big 5-0?

Mayoral 'Candigato' Urged to Fix Mexican Town's 'Kittyzens'

Bunnies Drowned at Ohio Petland

Elephant Interrupts McCartney's Olympic Rehearsal

Why We Euthanize

PETA's Statement on Eagles Vick Signing

Do You Have 60 Seconds to Save Seals?

General Info:

Site Tools:

International Sites:

Navigation: