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Saving the Earth, One Bite at a Time

Our planet has become a toxic dumping ground. Our water is contaminated. Our air is filled with pollutants. And our soil has been depleted of vital nutrients. In this time of crisis, many wonder what can be done to protect our environment. Fortunately, each of us can make a difference … every time we sit down to eat.

The threat of pollution from intensive livestock and poultry farms is a national problem.
—U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Report(1)

Becoming Vegetarian for the Planet

Getting our food from farmed animals is inefficient. It takes much more land, water, and energy to produce meat, eggs, and dairy products than vegetarian foods. The United Nations reports that animal farming damages natural habitats, produces greenhouse gases, erodes our soil, depletes our aquifers, and contaminates our water.(2)

Much as we have awakened to the full economic and social costs of cigarettes, we will find we can no longer...ignore the costs of mass-producing cattle, poultry, pigs, sheep and fish to feed our growing population. These costs include hugely inefficient use of freshwater and land, heavy pollution from livestock feces�and spreading destruction of the forests on which much of our planet’s life depends.
—TIME Magazine Report, Visions of the 21st Century, “Will We Still Eat Meat?”

Make a Difference for the Planet. Start Today.

• Protect the environment with every bite you take! Request your free Vegetarian Starter Guide and make the transition to vegetarian eating with ease. Practical tips, dozens of delicious recipes, a vegetarian nutrition section, the best in vegetarian cookbooks, frequently asked questions, and much more.
• In need of some animal- and earth-friendly recipes? Visit VegRecipes.org or contact COK for your free Easy Vegan Recipes booklet. Bon appétit!

References

1. Animal Waste Pollution in America: An Emerging National Problem, Minority Staff of Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, 104th Congress, Dec. 1997.
2. Livestock & the Environment: Finding a Balance, a report coordinated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1996.