Go Green with Meatless Mondays

Common expressions associated with "go green" include "reducing one's carbon footprint" and "saving greenhouse gas emissions." One's carbon footprint is a calculation of the total carbon dioxide emitted from one's activities during a year. Greenhouse gas emissions refer to atmospheric gasses - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor - that are responsible for the "greenhouse effect" wherein the over absorbing of heat by atmospheric gasses has led to global warming. These greenhouse gas emissions support human activities such as driving a car, consuming electricity within one's home, using plastic products, and eating meat. Astoundingly, eating meat creates 40% more greenhouse gas emissions than the use of all forms of transportation combined around the world, according to a recent United Nations report. The 2006 report predicts that if every American went without meat for one day of the week, 100 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions would be saved. In other words, livestock emits 15-20% of methane gas, from their decomposition of plants, which is 24 times more environmentally dangerous than carbon dioxide, based on this report. Therefore, by eating less meat, people are reducing the demand of livestock production, which equals less methane gas emission.

In an effort to appeal to the majority of Americans who eat meat, the concept of having a "Meatless Monday" has been introduced. Recently, on the Earth Day 2009: Go Green segment of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Michael Pollan, author of the 2006 best-selling book Omnivore's Dilemma, shared this practice and recommended it as an effective way of "going green". Also, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health hosts the website www.meatlessmonday.com with the mission of deterring major illnesses. From this website, one will discover examples and recipes for delicious meatless meals.

On the plus side of "Meatless Monday", seafood is not excluded - only meat from livestock. Some delicious meat substitutes include baked fish (Tilapia, Salmon, Halibut, Catfish...), steamed shrimp with rice, shrimp or crab salad, and tuna salad. There are also veggie burgers and tofu with grilled mushrooms. Some examples of filling carbohydrates that will replace meat include chef salads loaded with vegetable toppings, shredded cheese, almonds, and croutons; a variety of vegetable casseroles including eggplant, broccoli, squash, and green bean; eggrolls; and meatless jambalaya (recipe on www.meatlessmonday.com).

By all means, "Meatless Monday" is nowhere near a form of punishment but rather a proactive approach to "go green" by saving greenhouse gas emissions. While many individuals would find the idea of becoming a full vegetarian a drastic step, "Meatless Monday" allows them to help to save the planet Earth with baby steps. Not only will individuals who take part in this solution benefit the environment and animals, but they will also benefit their health and reduce their spending - all worthy causes.

Sources

"Meatless Monday: Recipes, Health, and Nutrition News."2009 Meatless Monday Campaign Inc.

Peake, Christopher. "Food Vs. the Environment: Getting to the Meat of the Problem." 7online.com Green Content.

"Top 10 Reasons Not to Eat Meat." PETA Dishoom.

Winfrey, O. (Interviewer). (2009, April 22). [Interview with M. Pollan]. The Oprah Winfrey Show (Earth Day 2009: Go Green, Save Money). Chicago, IL: Harpo Productions.

"What is a Carbon Footprint -- Definition." Time for Change.