We have heard for years that animal farming is a major pollutant. A study heralded in todays NYTimes quotes a 2012 study in the journal, Ecosystems, from the University of Twente in the Netherlands. Have a look at these comparison of water-rich vegetables versus slaughtered animals. beets 52,000 gallons per ton Beef 145,000 gallons per ton Vegetables 11,300 gallons per ton Butter 122,800 gallons per ton Starchy roots 4,200 gallons per ton Pork 121,000 gallons per ton Fruit 38,800 gallons per ton These figures do not include the energy required for the refrigeration required in the transport of animal products nor the 132 gallons of water per carcass required in the slaughtering process. Alfalfa (cultivated for cattle feed) in California, a currently draught-afflicted area, is being grown and exported to Asia. Alfalfa growers are now exporting 100 billion gallons of water per year around the world in the form of alfalfa because of profit as more Asians are adopting the American-style, meat heavy diet. The disastrous health results are likely a generation away. Going vegetarian reduces an individual’s food-related water footprint by almost 60 percent. Going vegan is even better. Eating as much locally grown fruit and vegetables as possible is even better. In Oshawa, a courageous restauranteur, Carol of The Table Restaurant, has hatched a plan to offer locally grown, fresh vegetables and herbs to downtown residents for free. She and her army of volunteers will dig and plant a garden almost anywhere. All agree to donate a portion of the produce back to a centrally-located barter market where food can be exchanged or made available at no cost. DurhamVeg, the eastern-most arm of TVA, will be managing one of Carols gardens. We look forward to this opportunity and further, we hope to rekindle the flame of home cooking for folks who have become addicted to cheap fast food. _____________________________________ -Sally
Posted on: Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:02:06 +0000
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