The Vegan Post

By now we have all heard about the urgency of global warming. Besides changing light bulbs, most of us think that there is nothing much we can do right now. Although upgrading appliances at home, installing solar panels on the roof, and switching to a hybrid car will surely reduce our contribution to global warming,

not all of us are able to do that right away. So, what can we do? Wait for politicians to pass laws to save the planet? Hope that someone else will take care of the problem? Isn’t there something we can all do now to make a BIG difference?

“YES WE CAN! ACT NOW. TODAY”

Which do you think is more responsible for global warming: a gas-guzzling SUV, or a hamburger?

Surprise! It’s the burger!

Hard to believe? A United Nations report demonstrated that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars, trucks, SUVs, trains, planes and ships in the world combined. How much more? An impressive 40% more. A study done by two geophysicists at the University of Chicago said that just one person reducing his or her meat consumption by only 20% would be the equivalent of switching from a Camry to a Prius. Think about that! With simple changes to our everyday food choices, we can actually make as much a difference as the guy who just purchased a hybrid car – easily. We CAN make big differences.

Many of us already know that a plant-based or meatless diet is good for our health, and obviously, it is good for the animals. But there is much, much more. Not only is meat consumption a major source of land, soil, air and water degradation, and other environmental problems, it’s also a main cause of the current world food crisis, as nearly half of the world’s grain is used to feed livestock instead of humans.

All lives on earth are interconnected. Just imagine the power we have when we make our simple daily decisions. We can determine our own well-being and the well-being of others; we can choose to protect or threaten the welfare of animals; and most of all, we can choose to save or destroy the planet we all live on. We have come to the critical moment when we have to decide which direction we want to go. Time is running out. Be green, be really green — go Veg! We CAN help save the planet, one meal at a time. Let’s act now!

Please visit http://www.letsactnow.org/ to learn more.

In Your Home – Conserve Energy

1. Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month.
2. If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms.
3. Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120.
4. Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.
5. Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods.
6. Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.
7. Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 .
8. When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door.
9. Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy.
10. Unplug seldom used appliances.
11. Use a microwave when- ever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.
12. Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
13. Reverse your indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations as recommended.
14. Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.
15. Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refridgerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models.
16. Only use electric appliances when you need them.
17. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.
18. Keep your thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer. » Read the rest of this entry …