Meatless Mondays!

I have heard David Kirby, author of Animal Factory, speak a few times in the last few weeks. There are several ways he mentioned that individuals can shift toward being more conscious consumers of meat. For those unable to go completely vegetarian, having a “Meatless Monday!” is a great step toward consuming less meat–which is healthier for the environment and for individuals. SustainableTable.org also has an Eat Well Guide where you can find stores and butchers that sell organic, humanely raised and pasture raised meat.

Here are the things I am serving this Monday at my house:

There are several reasons for families to eat less meat. One is that the huge demand for meat in this country is one of the reasons behind the growth of animal factories which are a huge environmental problem. These non-sustainable animal factories produce lagoons of animal waste which pollutes farmland and rivers and creates a huge environmental problem for the future. According to a New York Times article Rethinking the Meat Guzzler, Americans “process (that is, grow and kill) nearly 10 billion animals a year.” A byproduct of this is that “livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than transportation.” Cows raised in these animal factories are fed grain instead of grass which causes them to gain weight faster. The unnatural, concentration camp setting these cows and pigs are raised in leads to so many health problems that antibiotics are often required. Yet another reason to consider Meatless Mondays a routine event for anyone concerned about our environment and health.