In the '80s, people sang "We Are the World," but for Earth Day 2013, PETA gave that idea a very literal spin: Instead of wearing their hearts on their sleeves, these good folks took off their sleeves (and everything else) in favor of blue and green bodypaint for a demonstration in Vancouver. They reminded everyone who saw them that we can help the planet simply by choosing healthy and humane vegan foods.

So remember: If you want to save the world and its inhabitants (or just look your best without clothes), going vegan is the best way to start!

Now here's some real appointment television: On Earth Day—Monday, April 22—at 7 p.m. EDT (check your local listings for the time in your region), HBO will premiere the documentary An Apology to Elephants. Watch a preview here. 

Getting the Word Out—and the Story Straight

In his review, David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle says that Apology, narrated by Lily Tomlin, is "impossible to ignore because of the irrefutable arguments made by its savvy combination of testimony from animal experts and images of elephants being abused."

Since HBO began working on this project more than two years ago, PETA has been on board offering information and documentation. The documentary features pictures and video footage provided by PETA, including photos from a whistleblower that document the shockingly cruel way in which Ringling Bros. circus breaks the spirit of baby elephants and video footage from a Ringling elephant walk showing bullhook abuse. Viewers will see elephants Maggie—who suffered alone for years at the Alaska Zoo before being sent to a sanctuary following a lengthy PETA campaign—and Nosey, in whose behalf PETA has been working for years.

Among the experts who participated in the documentary are Dr. Mel Richardson and Dr. Joyce Poole. Also appearing is passionate young animal advocate Rose McCoy, who once schooled McDonald's execs over their failure to reduce the suffering of chickens.

How You Can Help

Besides watching An Apology to Elephants yourself, encourage others to tune in, too—and tell them never to buy a ticket to any circus that uses animals. 

After Canada's House of Commons passed a budget bill that strikes down several environmental protection laws, PETA's blue-painted supporters hit Ottawa's Parliament Hill to rock the government's world—almost literally—and to urge eco-conscious Canadians not to despair because they can still help save the planet by eating plant-based foods.

According to the United Nations, the meat industry is in large part responsible for some of the most serious environmental problems that we face today, including climate change. So even if you aren't daring enough to strip down to bodypaint (although if you are, let PETA know), don't feel blue—you can still help protect the Earth by choosing healthy, humane vegan meals.

Today marks the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day. To celebrate, PETA presents the top 10 surprising ways that helping save the planet saves animals, too:

10) Reduce companion animal overpopulation.

Most of the puppies that pet stores sell are trucked or flown hundreds of miles from puppy mills, creating a Great Dane–sized carbon pawprint. But animal shelters in every city are full of locally grown companion animals you can tuck into your Smart car before taking the short drive home.



9)   Sea yourself away from water pollution.

SeaWorld isn't just hard on orcas—it's also hard on the environment. The marine park was in a fine mess after it got hit with a fine for messing up San Diego's Mission Bay after violating effluent limitations numerous times.

8)   Make like Miss Piggy and love a frog.

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Ecosystems are being decimated by biological supply houses that catch huge numbers of frogs to be dissected. If you're a student or parent, urge your local school district to switch to a virtual dissection program instead. 

7)   Talk about the elephant in the room.

Ringling logs more than 25,000 miles every year dragging animals across the country chained in boxcars and trucks. Don't give the "cruelest show on Earth" your green until it goes green and retires its animals to sanctuaries.

6)   Make the skies friendlier.

Primates are torn away from their jungle homes and flown to the U.S. from as far away as China, Cambodia, and Indonesia to be used in experiments. Ask the few airlines that still transport primates to laboratories to stop—for animals and the planet.

5)   Be green, not mean.

We know that only mean people wear fur, and only ungreen people wear the toxic soup of chemicals that it takes to keep the fur from rotting off their backs—chemicals such as ammonia, formaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and chromates.

4)   Be good to your body: Be good to a bunny.

There are so many luscious body-care product lines out now that are made without harsh chemicals and without harsh animal tests that it's easier than ever to be a green goddess. Check out PETA's shopping guide for a list of cruelty-free companies. 

3)   Lime sludge and sulfides are not sexy.

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Neither are the other chemicals you'll find en masse at leather tanneries, such as formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, and cyanide-based finishes. Wearing dried-up animal skin is all dried up.

2)   Take a shower. Please.

Meat production requires so much water that you save more water by not eating one 16-ounce steak than you do by not showering for six months. So by going vegan, you can help save the Earth and keep it a pleasant-smelling place.

1)   Pop open a cold one.

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Now that you've saved the Earth and animals, relax with a beer. If you recall PETA's notorious "Got Beer?" campaign, you know this beverage choice won't contribute to the massive climate change, exploitation of resources, and water and air pollution that the dairy industry is responsible for.

Spread the green! Share this post on social-networking sites and help other aspiring environmentalists go green for animals' sake.

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

Meat's not green, and it's not Greensboro either. In light of Greensboro, North Carolina's "Greensboro Goes Green" initiative, PETA is asking the town to really go green by helping residents dump meat. We're asking Greensboro to change its moniker to "Meat's Not Greensboro" for Earth Day, and we've already designed the perfect sticker for their signs.
 

 
Greensboro drivers will be reminded that it takes 10 times as much fossil fuel to produce one calorie of animal protein as it does to produce a calorie of plant protein and that producing a single pound of meat emits the same amount of greenhouse gasses as driving 40 miles in an SUV. And factory farming wastes immense amounts of water and crops, which are filtered through the animals to produce a tiny portion of meat, milk, or eggs. 

It's easy to see that meat is making Greensboro and the rest of the country blue. But Meat's Not Greensboro might be the inspirational green relief we need. Get your Vegetarian Starter Kit and really go green this year.
 

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Finally! Someone who fights factory farm pollution has received some serious recognition. Lynn Henning, a Michigan corn and soybean farmer, has just been presented with the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize (known worldwide as the "Green Nobel") and the accompanying $150,000 award for her efforts to expose factory farms for the pollution-spewing cesspools they are. She plans to donate much of the money to environmental groups and spend a portion on water-monitoring kits. Go, Henning!

Encouraging people to recycle and use energy-efficient light bulbs is all well and good, but everyone needs to hold factory farms accountable for their dirty deeds by refusing to buy their dirty goods. Just last week, millions of gallons of manure from a dairy farm spilled into the Snohomish River. Both Perdue Farms and Hudson Farm—an 80,000-bird factory farm—were recently sued for mucking up the Chesapeake Bay.

Meat's not green, so I hope that everyone is celebrating Earth Day—and making Henning's work less lonely—by eating only vegan food.

Oh, and check out some of the winners in other countries. Most of them are also helping animals and the environment at the same time. Feel inspired?

Written by Heather Moore

It's Earth Day, and because one of the most effective ways to fight climate change is to stop consuming animal flesh and other food ingredients derived from animals, we want to know what actions you are taking to help others realize that "meat's not green." Tell us about your efforts in the comment section, and you might score the eco-chic "Tofu Never Screams" tote as well as PETA's reusable, BPA-free water bottle.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• If you haven't already, pledge to go vegan.
• Help your friends face the facts by posting our "Meat's Not Green" video on your Facebook page.
• Post our carbon calculator on your blog.

Two entries drawn at random will win both the tote and the bottle. The contest ends on April 29, 2010, and we'll pick the winners on May 3, 2010. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting.

Happy Earth Day!

Written by Karin Bennett

Move over, Smart car: There's an even smarter car in town. Unlike some so-called "green" carmakers that offer leather seats and trim, Wheego Electric Cars will not use a stitch of cow (or any other) hide in any of its models. That's why we go for Wheego, and we're awarding it our Proggy Award for the Best Green Car Company of 2010.

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Including real leather in a car that's touted as "eco-friendly" is pretty fake (yes, we're talking to you, Smart car). Most leather is chrome-tanned, even though the Environmental Protection Agency classifies chromium as a hazardous waste. Studies have also found that groundwater near tanneries is tainted with everything from arsenic and lead to cyanide and PCBs and that human cancer rates are higher in those areas.

If you want to green your ride this Earth Day, why not give leather-free Wheego a spin?

Written by Paula Moore