Vegetarianism good for the environment

George Walter did a great job in his Board of Contributors column, “The value of forests is recognized by Microsoft,” explaining how a large company can purchase carbon credits to financially support forest lands, allowing trees to mature past the standard clear-cutting age of 40.

Also on Dec. 28, James Packard’s letter to the editor pointed out that stopping exponential growth of human populations is a key component to controlling greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to these tactics, each individual person can make an immediate, long-lasting, and significant choice to prevent leaving a toxic world to future generations by eating a vegetarian diet.

I urge you to watch the Discovery documentary, “Racing Extinction,” to learn how methane is even more detrimental than CO2 and how supporting the beef industry is fueling this problem. Also look at the dietary guidelines advisory report recently submitted to the USDA which encourages vegetarian based diets.

If everyone would eat vegetarian (even once a week) there would be less pollution, more land for plants, less methane, and less chance of disease and infection outbreaks.

As oceans become more acidic, even seafood-based diets will be difficult. Mainstream media have begun to point out immediate human-focused suffering that is unusual (weather patterns, temperatures, melting glaciers), but they generally ignore the long term consequences of ocean acidification and methane pollution.

Educate yourself so you know how your personal choices can make a difference. Vote for elected officials that understand the responsibility this generation has to prevent environmental collapse.

This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 8:21 AM with the headline "Vegetarianism good for the environment."