Our appetite for steaks and burgers is a huge contributor to global warming. So it turns out that meatless Fridays, which for generations inflicted fish sticks and tuna casseroles on millions of school-age children, Catholic and otherwise, were actually saving the planet. The United Nations is now urging wealthy nations to make a dramatic shift in eating habits, saying the best way to curb climate change is for people to go at least one day a week without meat.
And Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- which shared the Nobel Peace Prize last year -- isn't just asking diners to bypass a burger now and then. After achieving a weekly day without meat, he said, they should embark on a progressive reduction of their meat intake.
The problem isn't so much with hamburger patties as it is with cow patties. Meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations. Cows and other ruminants, such as sheep and goats, release methane and nitrous oxide in amounts that put to shame the carbon dioxide belched out by cars. In fact, a red-meat-eater in a Prius is probably hurting the environment more than a vegan in a Hummer.
The U.N. also is calling for governments to launch campaigns to reduce meat eating. If they do, such efforts will probably start in Europe, then sweep through every city, town, village and hamlet in Asia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica before the U.S. Department of Agriculture stops propagandizing on behalf of meat without any regard for human or environmental health.
Which brings us back to individual abstinence. We're not calling for a vegan revolution, but this page has noted that a sincere personal effort to fight global warming must include a reduction in eating red meat. Were fish sticks on Fridays really that bad?
(Thanks, Peter, for the tip!)
Here are links to lists of the Scariest Books!!
If you haven't picked your costume yet, you're a major procrastinator, but either way, here are some links!!
In case you haven't already noticed, Trailer Addict is pretty much my new favorite thing. They've got trailers for everything! And you can embed them onto your site.
Most excited about: Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Seth Green and his friend Hugh Sterbakov started a comic book called Freshmen about college Freshmen who gain superpowers and become superheroes. He is going to direct the film version of the comic book.
One of my best and most helpful blogging friends is Jessica over at Gravy & Biscuits! They are doing a giveaway right now for a $25 Macy's gift card, a T-shirt for the YouTube webisode series Ragged Road, a Gym Class Heroes CD, and a Faith Hill CD! All you have to do is post a comment! That's not so hard!!
If this happens on Dancing With the Stars, I'll start watching! haha
I don't know about you, but I'm very excited about Watchmen! First Showing posted this new teaser poster for the movie.
1. Buy some reusable water bottles, a tap filter and stop buying bottled water!
2. Buy some Baggu reusable shopping bags so I can stop using plastic bags.
3. Recycle the magazines, paper and plastic bottles in my house.
ProBlogger posted this and I'm very interested! Not that I think that many people would download it or anything, but I think it's cool!!!
EWG (Environmental Working Group) posted the results of an investigation into bottled water where they found cancer-causing contaminants and fertilizer residue among other things in the bottled water. Unlike with tap water where the water company is required to release the results of testing on the water regularly, bottled water companies do not have to release any information about the testing of their water.
I'm interested in this magazine! I want to see one!!
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