EcoMoms: February 2008

Doing our part for a healthier planet in Janesville, Wisconsin

Did you know?

In a 2006 report, the United Nations stated that “livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems.”

What moms can do:

IDEA #1: Go vegetarian! Incredibly, livestock production generates more greenhouse gases than all the motor vehicles in the world. A typical American meat-eater is responsible for nearly 1.5 tons more carbon dioxide per year than a vegan (one who eats no animal products.) So to help the planet, we need to look not only at the cars we drive but what food we put in our bodies! As one blogger cheekily phrased it, “Vegetarians in Hummers do more for the planet than do meat-eaters who cruise around in hybrids.” Shop Woodman’s or Basics Cooperative in Janesville for a great selection of yummy meat-substitutes.

IDEA #2: Adopt “Meatout Mondays.” If cutting out meat altogether isn’t viable for you and your family, choose one or more days of the week to commit to cooking meatless meals. You’ll not only curb your contribution to the climate crisis, but you’ll save money and enhance your health at the same time. For veggie recipes, try www.vegkitchen.com. For an information-packed pamphlet, including recipes and meal suggestions, take a look at the Vegetarian Starter Kit put together by Vegetarian Times magazine: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/2007/pdf/vegetarian_starter_kit.pdf.

Why it’s important:

•The world is being deforested at an alarming rate, and much of the deforestation is happening in order to create grazing land for livestock. Deforestation results in loss of habitat for millions of species. In addition, forests absorb the gases contributing to global warming, so fewer forests means accelerated warming and climate change.

•Al Gore’s attention-getting book, An Inconvenient Truth, tells us that fruits, vegetables, and grains require 95% less raw materials than meat to produce, saving substantial water and other natural resources.


•According to USDA figures, it takes nearly 17 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef. In a world where 1.2 billion people are underfed and malnourished, this is a wasteful way to grow food. To maximize energy efficiency, we should eat lower on the food chain whenever possible.

•The American appetite for meat is not sustainable. Our country contains only 4 percent of the world’s population, but we consume 23% of the world’s beef.



This EcoMOMs tip was brought to you by Dana Petersen Murphy, mom to Sabriel. You can contact me at dpmurphy@photokiva.com.