Letter: Other effects of sustainability

Tuesday, February, 24, 2009; 9:26 PM | 12 | | Print

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TOPICS: sustainability

In response to your article "Tech dining services pushes for sustainable dining," (CT, Feb. 23) it was encouraging to see that Mr. Sarjahani and the rest of the university staff are working to reduce our collective impact on the planet by promoting sustainable foods on campus.

While it is a positive thing that Sarjahani uses organic and free-range animals, it's important to note that raising and killing animals for meat is inherently unsustainable. According to a recent United Nations study, raising animals for food contributes more to global warming than all of the cars, trains, boats, and trains combined. If we really want to make a difference, the first step would be to cut out the meat.

Across the board, animal agriculture squanders the limited resources we have by funneling them through animals raised for meat and other animal products. For example, we currently feed more than 70 percent of the grains raised in this country to animals raised for food, rather than eating the grains directly. Similarly, nearly half of the water and 80 percent of agricultural land consumed in this country is used for livestock, when it could be used to grow food directly for human consumption. This wasteful use of our resources has a devastating effect on our local environments as well. Currently, farmed animals produce about 130 times as much excrement as the entire U.S. population, much of which finds its way into our local waterways. 

Thankfully, it's never been easier to find delicious and "green" meals on the go. With local grocery stores stocking the shelves with products such as vegetarian BBQ "riblets" and vegan pizza, not to mention chain restaurants such as Denny's and Burger King adding veggie burgers to the menus, there's never been a better time to eat sustainably and cruelty-free. For more information about the impacts of animal agriculture on the environment, visit peta2.com to request free stickers and a DVD.

Ryan Huling

College Campaign Coordinator,

peta2.com

Leave a comment 12 Comments Write a letter to the editor

You are sooo right | # February 25, 2009 @ 8:31 AM — Flag Comment

YAY, I love violent organizations that everyone loves to associate with! PETA is sooo nice and uncruel. plus, we have been eating animals for years. There has been no large inpact yet.

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Eric Wood | # February 25, 2009 @ 12:17 PM — Flag Comment

I've tried to reduce the amount of meat I eat before, but tofu burgers just don't do it. You just can't beat a 12 oz porter house slathered in A1. I know it is bad for the environment, but I just enjoy eating meat too much. I would consider myself a member of the other PETA -People for the Eating of Tasty Animals.

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Anonymous | # February 25, 2009 @ 1:52 PM — Flag Comment

We've been killing animals for food since the beginning of civilization. Eating meat is one of the most sustainable activities people engage in and your facts are wrong. PETA is a hypocritical organization that values the rights of inferior organisms over people.

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Kyle Minor | # February 25, 2009 @ 10:24 PM — Flag Comment

Does anyone else see the irony in the fact that this article is on the same page as several other articles about the legitimacy of evolution?

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Will Kinton | # February 26, 2009 @ 5:33 AM — Flag Comment

PETA is about as hypocritical as they come. Not only do they sponsor what could be considered to be terrorism (http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news_detail.cfm/headline/1582), but they also euthanize stray animals by the thousands every year. In the past 10 years, PETA has killed more than 17,000 animals, or about 85% of the animals that they "rescued." And these are not sick animals either. It is estimated that 80% of them are healthy. Furthermore, overpopulation is a myth, considering a large and growing and large number of shelters are able to stop euthanize anything but the sickest of animals. Essentially what we have here, is an organization that has found an easy way out of a problem that just got too darn hard for them to solve in an "ethical" way.

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John | # February 26, 2009 @ 5:42 PM — Flag Comment

It's interesting that most of these comments have nothing to do with the letter's content. Eating meat IS the number one cause of global warming, as concluded by the United Nations, and many other non-activist organizations. It's a shame that my fellow VT students are so closed-minded when in comes to showing compassion for animals and the environment. http://www.peta2.com/MeatsNotGreen

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Kelly Mayes | # February 26, 2009 @ 5:45 PM — Flag Comment

I don't disagree with anything in this letter. If people did eat less meat, it would be better for the planet. This is environmental science 101.

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Kate | # February 26, 2009 @ 5:46 PM — Flag Comment

Why doesn't this letter talk about the CRUELTY of slaughtering animals for food? Animals have their throats slit while still fully conscious when killed for meat. Sure, the environmental argument is a strong one, but there's a real ethical issue here too. http://www.meat.org

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Anonymous | # February 26, 2009 @ 11:52 PM — Flag Comment

John, Kate, Kelly-> Samef@g, Besides your PETA argument is wrong fossil fuel Consumption is the leading cause of global warming. If people ate less meat we'd have serious health issues because we are omnivores. Besides the amount of grain we'd have to grow to feed ourselves would be much higher and the machinery used to cultivate it would increase global warming. Also who cares how the animals are treated they are inferior creatures who's needs are unimportant compared to man's needs and wants.

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JD | # February 27, 2009 @ 1:56 AM — Flag Comment

You silly liberals really make me laugh sometimes. I am going to go grill a steak right now just to make you mad.

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Eric Wood | # March 1, 2009 @ 5:36 PM — Flag Comment

I'm a liberal and I love eating meat all the time, so have at it hoss. The only thing that makes me mad is that I'm too poor to buy any steak and grilling out sounds mighty tasty right about now.

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Andrea | # April 11, 2012 @ 2:17 PM — Flag Comment

Acho que você está falando isso por que ainda não viu o site tvnocelular.com.br

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