Image by Alexandra Guerson via Flickr
Did you have bacon or ham for breakfast today? Chances are you didn’t. Probably you didn’t even have breakfast. So I caught you just in time.
Make today a Meatless Monday.
Don’t eat meat or cheese all day. Why? Because everybody’s doing it. Okay that’s a lie. Not everybody participates in Meatless Mondays but Oprah does. And if that’s not enough to convince you, consider this: If every person in the US refrained from eating meat or cheese one day a week every week for a year the reduction in emissions would be equivalent of taking 7.6 million cars off the road.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released the results of a study into , entitled “Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate Change and Health.”
What I think is great about the report is that it doesn’t condemn you for being a meat eater which is good because I will never be a vegetarian. I have the teeth of an omnivore so I will eat the diet of an omnivore. Instead, the report reveals the environmental impact of meat and dairy consumption and offers consumers tips on how to cut consumption and buy greener meat when you do make purchases.
What you can do:
- Participate in meatless and cheese-less Mondays (It’s not too late to start today!)
- Buy meat from local farmer
- Buy grass-fed meat
- Buy organic meats
- Buy appropriately sized portions
- Avoid processed meats such as hot dogs
Not sure where you can get “greener” meat near you? Consult www.eatingwellguide.org or www.eatwild.com.
Who knew that the Catholic church was eco-friendly? Instead of meatless Mondays, quite often they have meat-free Fridays. Now, when I have to give up chicken and turkey on Fridays I will know that I’m doing some good for the health of the world. How neat!