Meat Production and Climate Change

"Livestock production accounts for 30% of the entire land surface of the planet - equaling 33% of all arable land, and an even larger area devoted to grazing!"
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Toronto Vegetarian Association wants meat consumption to become a higher priority environmental issue given its proven link to climate change. A growing body of research supports the grave environmental costs of meat production:
Raising livestock for food emits more greenhouse gases than all of the world's cars and trucks.
The UN FAO calls the meat industry "one of the most significant contributors to the world's environmental problems", including acid rain, deforestation and water and land pollution.
Going vegetarian would eliminate 1.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent gas emissions per person, per year - an even bigger difference than switching from a SUV to a hybrid.

EXERCISES:

1. What do the following eat: 1. carnivores, 2. omnivores,3. fructivores, 4. localvores, 5. pescavores, 6. vegetarians, 7. vegans,8. flexitarians, 9. freegans, 10. raw foodists, 11. slow foodists?
   
   ANSWERS:1. meat, 2. all, 3. fruit, 4. local food, 5. fish, 6. no meat or fish, 7. no animal products (like milk or eggs), 8. meat only occasionaly, 9. food they get for free, 10. uncooked food, 11. food that is cooked slowly (as opposed to fast food).
   
   Who are they: gourmands, epicures, connoisseurs, gluttons,orthorexics, gastronomes, chefs? Complete the list with more names for people who eat different foods in different ways. Use a thesaurus.
2. Debate pro/con vegetarianism.
3. Share vegetarian recipes.
4. Count nutritional value of a regular meat-potato lunch as compared to a balanced vegetarian course.
5. Check http://www.amazon.ca/ for vegan/vegetarian cookbooks.
6. Check lifestyle magazines for trends in fine dining.