Reducing Our Carbon Footprint
Recently the Washington Post summarized a number of  reports that indicate that one of the best things we can do to reduce our carbon footprint or greenhouse gas pollution is to reduce our meat consumption.

Highlights from four studies:
A Carnegie Melon study found that the average American would benefit the planet more by being vegetarian one day per week than by switching to a totally local diet. (Why not  double the impact by doing both?)

A University of Chicago study showed that switching to a vegan diet would have a bigger impact than trading a gas guzzler for a Prius.

The head of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, recommends that people give up meat one day a week to take pressure off the atmosphere.

According to a 2006 United Nations report, livestock accounts for 18 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. With much of Amazon being cleared to raise livestock, this is actually triple indemnity as the forest is being destroyed to raise the cattle, the cattle emit methane, which creates greenhouse gases and then the beef travels thousands of miles to the United States and Europe to be used in fast foods.

While eating meat is ingrained in our American lifestyle as well as in middle-class and wealthy families in much of the world, if we can make a significant difference by skipping meat just one day a week, this is not a huge sacrifice and, it's also better for our health.  A plant based-diet is a healthier diet than one that includes a large amount of meat.