[kikke]

Dear all,

Can anyone tell me whether or not being vegetarian reduces your carbon footprint in comparison with being a meat-eater?

I know that for instance you can feed more people from one field of crops that you can feed from one cow who has consumed those crops, but does this have any impact on our carbon footprint, or does the footprint only look at gas/electric use, modes of travel, recycling, etc.

 

[Lothar M Kirsch]

I guess it does. Less energy is spent! (And less harm is done - emotionally speaking - and that won't show up, unluckily)

 

[CaptainPlanet]

I took a carbon footprint test online as a veg and then I took it again claiming to be an omnivore to see what the effect was. The test showed how many earths would be needed for the entire population to live the way I do, and as a veg there were 2 earths and as an omni there were 3. If that makes any sense.

 

[isowish]

www.myfootprint.org

using this quiz (which I think is the one Captain Planet was talking about) it definately reduces your environmental impact to be vegetarian (and reduces it again if you are vegan).

 

[kikke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainPlanet

I took a carbon footprint test online as a veg and then I took it again claiming to be an omnivore to see what the effect was. The test showed how many earths would be needed for the entire population to live the way I do, and as a veg there were 2 earths and as an omni there were 3. If that makes any sense.

Thanks. The more I learn about the health and environmental benefits of going vegetarian, the more sense it makes.

 

[Ludi]

The diet with the smallest carbon footprint is the homegrown vegan diet. That's pretty extreme, but if you're interested in the concept, I recommend the book "One Circle."

http://www.bountifulgardens.org/prod...ber=BEA%2D0370

 

[GhostUser]

i got 1.7 planets

 

[kpickell]

What does carbon footprint mean?

 

[teddygee]

We'd need 4.6 planets if everyone lived like me.

It's not my fault! Dallas has the worst public transportation you've EVER seen!

 

[kikke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kpickell

What does carbon footprint mean?

A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon emissions each individual emits throughout the course of a year. For example the amount of gas and electricity you use, your method of travel, (car, carpool, bus, train, walk, cycle), the amount of times you travel by plane. Taking it further, it would also encompass the amount of heat wasted from your home (which can be reduced by making your home as energy efficient as possible), the amount of refuse you recycle/compost, etc.

It's really about what you, as an individual are doing to try and reduce the impact of global warming.

I can do some things to reduce our heat wastage but not others as we rent our apartment, but I can try and buy energy efficient products, use the bus, walk, or carpool.

 

[kpickell]

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Jinga]

Quote:

Originally Posted by teddygee

We'd need 4.6 planets if everyone lived like me.

I got 4.7, which is still below average. I only live about 8miles from work, but alternate means of transport aren't all that great. It'd actually cost me more money to take the bus and there's not a safe bike route. Unfortunately, they count a lot against me because I live alone. I am technically taking up more space that way, but its only a 4 room house

I tried.

FYI - At least I'm down from 5-6 planets since the move.

 

[Bonoluvr]

I got 3.1 earths

i think because i eat too much processed food and i use my car too much, i live semi rural so no public transportation here.

 

[meatless]

I got 1.9, my worst offence is driving to work.

 

[GhostUser]

I got 3.2. However, I had to put that I fly over 100 hours a year which is probably the kicker.

 

[Ravenfire]

I got 1.4 planets. I try to do all I can but living in an apartment puts some things out of my control.

 

[Spidergrrl]

I got 2.4 earths. I'm sure it is because we return to the US once a year and that is 25 hours round trip. But we only go once a year! But we live in a small space and get our veg locally at the market and use energy saver bulbs so that brought it down. And we walk instead of drive. But if I had my way--I'd never come back to the US by plane--but we can't afford the time it would take to go by boat. One time when we looked into it they said 4 weeks to get from the UK to America across the ocean---and that doesn't count the time it would take after that to get to Louisiana. Sigh.....

 

[kikke]

Can someone tell me the website for working out how many earths you use up in a year. Would love to try it.

 

[luv4all]

I use up 3 earths exactly. Well, its not my fault my parents decided to send me to a school thats 1 hour by bus to get to, and thats when there is no traffic and the bus doesn't stop and any other stops.

Maybe its also because I want to be a pilot. I will just have to make that up in other ways, though.

For the moment though, its pretty lucky that not everyone wants to live like I live.

 

[Jinga]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kikke

Can someone tell me the website for working out how many earths you use up in a year. Would love to try it.

Go back to page one of this thread. You'll find it there