In Honor of Earth Day April 21, 2006

According to a news item on ABC News earlier this week, two assistant professors of geophysics at the University of Chicago have completed a study of greenhouse gas production and its sources. Their conclusion, get ready ... eating meat is the worst thing you can do for the planet.

I am Jack's complete lack of surprise. For those of you who didn't already know this, here are some cold hard facts for ya.

Water usage:
More than 1/2 of water used in the United States is used to raise animals for food. A totally vegetarian diet requires 300 gallons of water per day. A carnivorous diet requires 4200 gallons of water per day.

Land:
Of all agricultural land in the United States, 87% used to raise animals for food. This is 45% the total land mass of the United States. A total vegetarian requires 1/6 acre of land to feed herself or himself each year. A carnivore requires 3 and 1/4 acres. Over 50 years, eating a strictly vegetarian diet frees up more than 154 acres of land.

Air:
Raising cows is a detriment to air quality, because cows produce massive amounts of methane. Cow methane comprises 5-10% total greenhouse gases.

Water pollution:
Animals raised for food produce more than 130 times the excrement of human beings. They do not generally have sewage systems; thus, much of that excrement winds up in our water. The number one source of water pollution is the raising of animals for food.

Energy:
Of all raw materials and fossil fuels used in the United States, more than 1/3 are used to raise animals for food.

Deforestation:
Rainforests are being destroyed by human beings at a rate of 125 million square miles per year. The top cause of deforestation is the raising of animals for food.

Topsoil:
We have already lost 3/4 of our topsoil in the United States. Of this loss, 85% directly linked to the raising of animals for food. Monocropping, overgrazing, and excessive use of toxic chemicals have destroyed our nations soil. It takes 500 years to create an inch of new topsoil.

Anyone who calls themselves an environmentalist but still eats meat needs to get fucked. Take a break from writing your zine about how to make your own clothes out of hemp and take a look at your own diet. Kthx.

-Noah

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