Put Your Carbon Credits Where Your Mouth Is
A Meat and Dairy Industries Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Anai Rhoads, Friends of Animals
December 2009

Numerous studies prove that the demand for meat and dairy products is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Recent findings released by the Worldwatch Institute demonstrate that 51 percent of the world’s emissions can be attributed to dairy and meat production. Others show that animal agriculture alone emits a whopping 80 percent of all methane gas emissions. Even a small, family-owned organic dairy or chicken farm can produce more greenhouse gases than an industrial factory.

A prominent international animal advocacy organization sent a strong message to environmental leaders on Friday: “Put your carbon credits where your mouth is.”

Friends of Animals believes that addressing animal agriculture, a significant contributor to global warming, is long overdue. As leaders in Copenhagen have been scrambling to come up with solutions to our climate crisis, most are contributing to it through their diets.

“While we applaud your actions to reduce industrial emissions, we feel that not enough is being done to reduce greenhouse gasses caused by animal agriculture,” wrote Friends of Animals President, Priscilla Feral. “That’s why we are calling on you…to make a New Year’s resolution to ‘Go Vegan.’”

Numerous studies prove that the demand for meat and dairy products is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Recent findings released by the Worldwatch Institute demonstrate that 51 percent of the world’s emissions can be attributed to dairy and meat production. Others show that animal agriculture alone emits a whopping 80 percent of all methane gas emissions. Even a small, family-owned organic dairy or chicken farm can produce more greenhouse gases than an industrial factory.

Environmental leaders should be committed to reducing all of their emissions, not just those they find convenient. By going vegan, these leaders will be letting people know that they can make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gasses just by changing their diet.

Added Feral “Going vegan is the easiest and most effective step a person can take to reduce greenhouse emissions…Animal agriculture is responsible for everything from deforestation to factory farming waste ponds —and if you eat meat or dairy, you are contributing to these destructive practices.”

Veganism is a diet that voids all use of animal products, including meat, poultry, eggs, dairy and honey. In addition, we shun all use of leathers, wool, silk and furs. For those interested in learning more about veganism, please download a free copy of the Vegan Starter Guide, courtesy of Friends of Animals, today.

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