How green is your pet?
A new book translates the environmental impact of Americans’ beloved dogs, cats, and fish into cold hard numbers
According to Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, a new book on climate change, dogs do more damage to our planet than SUVs—not to mention the average Vietnamese or Ethiopian—when you look at their environmental footprint. Here are the numbers. (For THE WEEK's full opinion round-up on this controversial book, see Climate change: Time to eat Fido?)
Amount of land (in square feet) needed to produce the annual food requirement for:
• Large dog: 118,500
• Medium sized dog: 90,600
• Average Vietnamese citizen: 81,890
• Average Ethiopian citizen: 72,310
• Cat: 16,100
• Hamster: 1,500
• Goldfish: 36
Sources: Time to Eat the Dog, via New Scientist, Wired
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19 Comments
Posted by JosefineAnne Gobreville, Thursday, November 5, 2009, 6:05 pm How absurd! Animals are feelings creatures. ALL ANIMALS. What we should do is start eating a vegetarian diet for which we are designed. Dogs can be vegetarians too. As for feeding slaughtered pets to cattle!? Cattle are not carniverous! Stop unnatural breeding which animal husbandry is and care for the animals who already exist. Nueter them but don't eat them! I may not love my dogs as much as my children and grandchildren but it's a pretty close second.
Posted by Elaine, Thursday, November 5, 2009, 6:29 pm My dog loves her veggies and fruitprefers these over other foods. She's 10 now, and other than looking a little gray, is lythe, super energetic, acts like a 3yrold, runs like the wind, and is a very happy girl. She's a 50 lb Vizsla that we rescued, and we're so happy with her. How large of a footprint does the average meateating US resident makehow many acres does it take to grow meat for him/her? The veggie way is the way to go. We feel great, don't need to take pills anymore, and don't have to feel guilty about killing animals.
Posted by Elizabeth Wiley, Thursday, November 5, 2009, 6:31 pm Absolutely absurd.I think it it better to clean up the factories, energy sources, and spay and neuter.and as for having cattle eat euthanized animals? ICK! I might think over vegan!
Posted by Sheri Jazembak, Thursday, November 5, 2009, 6:45 pm Ok So...can we go a happy medium? Like help the consumer pick more environmental friendly ways to feed and care for their pet? How about specific dog food companies that are green. Or dog healthy recipes? We name our pets and they live in our homes. I don't think Hound meat is gonna make a big splash in American society.
Posted by DDW, Thursday, November 5, 2009, 7:04 pm RawMeatyBones dot com all organic and lots of fresh veggies too. Dogs bring us joy, laughter and remind us to love. All dogs and living creatures on this planet deserve to be treated with love and respect. We must all take responsibility for this helpless voiceless creatures. They have the inherent right not to suffer at our hands.
Posted by Don Hoffner, Thursday, November 5, 2009, 7:40 pm Ever hear of biodiversity. Maby if you have more than two kids we should eat the others. It's human overpopulation that is the problem not the dogs.
Posted by ANIMAL LOVER, Thursday, November 5, 2009, 7:41 pm how crazy are these people? WHY WOULD YOU WAT YOUR PET THE PEOPLE WHO WROTE THE BOOK SHOULD BE PUT IN AN AYSYLUM!! AND THE PEOPLE WHO WROTE THIS NEWS ARTICLE THUS SPREADING THE IDIOCY SHOULD BE SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN GUANTANIMO BAY IF IT WERE STILL ACTIVE!!! HUH WHO EVER HEARD OF EATING YOUR PET WHY THE NERVE AND THE STPUDIDITY AND THE TOTAL CRUEALTY ANIMALS HAVE FEELING TOO YA KNOW IF I FOUND THE GUY WHO WROTE THE BOOK I SHALL ZAP HIM WITH A TAZER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! not really cause' it is illegal
Posted by ANIMAL LOVER, Thursday, November 5, 2009, 7:42 pm WAT EAT CORRECTION
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