why it's green to go vegetarian ...

being a vegetarian myself, and feeling quite passionately about the negative impact our way of living has on our plant, i do post this with a serious message ... however, i can't help being amused that farm animals' farts are the subject of this campaign by the veggie society.

postcards and a3 posters of this full page advert are available to order free of charge, email resources@vegsoc.org, or call 0161 9252000.

"Studies on world food security estimate that an affluent diet containing meat requires up to 3 times as many resources as a vegetarian diet"

"There were approximately 6.5 billion people living on earth in 2005*1,2, and as the world’s population continues to grow, our requirement for food will also increase. Worldwide food production requires 30% of the total soil available, 20% of fossil fuel energy and a major part of the fresh water flow*3. Raising cattle is one of the most damaging components of agriculture*4. They cause the most environmental damage of any non-human species through over-grazing, soil erosion, desertification and tropical deforestation for ranches, in addition to their gaseous emissions and manure products. Studies on world food security estimate that an affluent diet containing meat requires up to 3 times as many resources as a vegetarian diet*5.

Global production of meat has risen dramatically from 130 million tonnes in the late 1970s to 230 million tonnes in the year 2000*6. Meat is now the single largest source of animal protein in all affluent nations*7 and demand for animal flesh is expected to more than double by the year 2050*8. In order to meet this growing appetite, animals will no doubt be reared more intensively and cheaply with factory farming and aquaculture (fish farming) causing further pollution, water and land usage. If nothing is done, the environmental impact of meat production can only increase.

Diet is an important tool in working to achieve environmental sustainability."

full article and further info at - http://www.vegsoc.org/environment/index.html