Time To Eat The Dog: Book Addresses Pet's Carbon Footprints
by ERICA LIEPMANN, Causecast Associate Editor
The authors behind the book, Time to Eat the Dog: The real guide to sustainable living, shocked the world with their book title and the concept behind it. Through their research, they found that some pets have a larger environmental impact than driving around a gas-guzzling car. Yikes! The authors suggest that we re-think the concept of “pets,” opting instead for chickens and other plant-eating animals, that we can in turn eat.
The folks at AlterNet are poking holes in the research behind the book, explaining:
For one, they used a German Shepherd as their baseline, which weighs in around 70 or 80 pounds. And while I know there are 100+ pound dogs out there, I don’t know a single dog owner with one. Maybe that’s because I live in a city (a very dog-friendly one, though). Buffalo Bill is 40 pounds soaking wet and many of my friends have dogs that barely reach 8 pounds.
Also, they compare their baseline pooch to driving 10,000 km a year, which is only 6,250 miles. I think it would be awesome if everyone with a car only drove 6,000 miles a year, but the average American actually drives 12,000.
However, while the calculations are up for debate, it can’t be argued that our pets – just like us – do have an impact on the world they live in. Especially because of the resources needed to support their carnivorous diets.
Not ready to part with Fido? Take a look at our how to guide to find out how you can green your pet, to improve their health and reduce their environmental impact.
Photo by rhett maxwell, flickr.
- Posted by Causecast
Related causes: Animals, Environment
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