Saving the Planet; Saving my Waistline

A report released Wednesday shows that eating beef contributes more to global warming than does driving an automobile.

Taking into account all the processes involved in raising beef, Japanese scientists calculated that producing 2.2 pounds of beef generates greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to driving a car non-stop for three hours, and consumes 169 megajoules of energy, enough to light a 100-watt light bulb for 20 days.

Most of the greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the release of methane from the cattle's digestive system; most of the energy is consumed in producing and transporting cattle feed.

So what if we stopped eating beef? Would that help? Evidently, the answer is "Yes!"

According to Su Taylor, press officer for the Vegetarian Society, "Everybody is trying to come up with different ways to reduce carbon footprints, but one of the easiest things you can do is to stop eating meat."

Now, I have to tell you, when I read this, I felt really guilty. My love of a good steak is obviously contributing to the destruction of the planet. My wife has been telling me for years that the sixteen-ounce sirloin at the Texas Roadhouse was harmful to my waistline; she said the six-ounce was big enough. Of course, my response has always been, "If I order the six-ounce, what am I supposed to eat for my second bite?"

Well, I guess with this alarming new report on beef production's harmful effect on the environment, I no longer have a choice. I'm going to have to just order the six-ounce steak from now on. Maybe I can save the planet and my waistline.