Saving the Environment, Sustainabiltiy, Energy Reduction

[Lynn Farris]

I thought about posting this in the train area - which I did a similar comment yesterday - but decided it really is a different topic - but related.

There are many reasons to want the train - but the biggest one, at least in my mind is to help the environment. Yesterday I pointed out that with the American's love affair with the car - maybe we would be better off getting Detroit to make cars that were more fuel efficient - like the car Don and I drove almost 30 years ago.

There are many things that we can do - but I ran across an article today which surprised me. Being a vegetarian is very good for global warming.

As proof, they cite a 2006 UN report, which concluded that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars, trucks, planes and ships in the world combined. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation report concluded that the livestock business generates more greenhouse gas emissions – 18 per cent as measured in CO2 equivalent which is greater than that produced by all other forms of transportation.

[url]http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2906328.ece
[/url]

So maybe Chef Geoff was on to something when he suggested that the enviromental aspects of being a vegetarian were what he found most interesting. With this in mind - maybe going Vege one day a week would help the environment more than putting in new rail lines.

Just a thought.

[Jeff Endress]

Lynn


We did it before....Meatless Wednesdays as part of the need to conserve during WWII. It isn't a bad idea. But I would advocate taking it a step further. Not only could you refrain from consuming the meat from agribusiness concerns a day a week, but why not commit to only using local, newable vegan sources on the day? A day dedicated to the personal harvest from your garden (75Lbs. of Romas...and counting) or at least from a local producer. Sort of a one two punch.

Since my vegetarian foray we've generally refrained from meat a couple times a week. And while it might not be entirely possible for everything to be local, a good portion of it could.

Jeff

[sharon kinsella]

I'm addicted to frugal and environmental blogs.

There is a group of over 100 bloggers doing a project called one local summer. Each week every participant is asked to make at least one locally grown meal, describe it and do a photo.

I found out about it on a site called Pocket Farm, but I think they have centralized the project to a site called One Local Summer.

I regularly read most of the blogs that are participating and I've learned a lot.

[Stephen Eisel]

But adding fish oil to the animals diet cuts their belching and tooting down by 20 - 40 %