Farm Sanctuary to Promote Eco-Friendly Vegan Diet for Earth Day

[Guest guest]

Nationwide Outreach and Education Events Will Highlight Meat's Devastating

Environmental Impact

 

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm

animal protection organization, is coordinating a series of nationwide events

for Earth Day (April 22) that will encourage people to " eat green " by reducing

or eliminating their consumption of meat and other animal products. The group

will be involved in nearly two dozen outreach and education events from coast to

coast raising awareness about factory farming's negative impact on the

environment, and that choosing a plant-based vegan diet is the most ecologically

sustainable way for people to eat.

 

Here are just some of the documented facts that Farm Sanctuary cites to support

its argument that industrialized animal agriculture is destroying the

environment:

 

Resource Depletion: Raising billions of animals for meat wastes massive amounts

of resources because feeding plants to animals raised for food is many times

less efficient than feeding plants directly to people. Overall, the animal

agriculture industry consumes more than half the water and over one-third of the

petroleum used in the United States. In addition, two-thirds of the planet's

land surface is used by the agriculture industry to house, graze and grow grain

for farm animals, driving the extinction of endangered species.

Climate Change: A 2006 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report

indicated that about 18 percent of total greenhouse gasses released into the

atmosphere are produced by animal agriculture — more than all the cars, trucks,

trains, planes, boats, and other forms of motorized transportation combined.

Livestock also generate large amounts of methane and nitrous oxide, and methane

is 23 times more potent than CO2, while nitrous oxide is nearly 300 times as

potent as CO2.

Pollution: Every year, farm animals excrete half a billion tons of manure, which

is three times the amount of waste produced by the entire human population. This

waste is typically stored in gigantic lagoons that leach toxic substances (such

as nitrogen, phosphorous and heavy metals) into ground and surface water.

According to Environmental Protection Agency estimates, farm animal excrement

has polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated groundwater in

17 states.

More facts showing the link between factory farming and environmental

destruction can be found at www.vegforlife.org/earth_protect.htm and

http://www.farmsanctuary.org/issues/factoryfarming/environment/.

 

According to Farm Sanctuary President and Co-Founder Gene Baur, there is an

unmistakable connection between factory farms' exploitation of the environment

and abuse of animals. " The system of industrialized animal agriculture is based

on maximizing short term profits, " said Baur, " and producers that raise and

process animals in the cheapest, fastest way make the most money, while animals

and the environment pay the price. People need to know how their food choices

impact the planet, so during Earth Day, Farm Sanctuary will be getting the word

out, and promoting vegan lifestyles as a key part of the solution to our

environmental crisis. "

 

Farm Sanctuary is coordinating volunteers around the country to leaflet and

table at Earth Day festivals and celebrations, where they will speak with people

about meat's devastating impact on the environment and hand out literature

promoting a healthy, sustainable vegan diet. Attendees will also get a taste of

vegan fare, as volunteers distribute coupons for Tofurky products from Turtle

Island Foods, and soy jerky donated by Vegan Dream. Other events include

lectures and workshops presented by Farm Sanctuary staff members. Details about

these events can be found at

www.farmsanctuary.org/get_involved/actionalerts.html.

 

About Farm Sanctuary

 

Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization.

Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel

practices of the " food animal " industry through research and investigations,

legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and

direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y.,

and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who

have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about

the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at

farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.

 

Contacts

Farm Sanctuary

Angela Barker, 607-583-2225 ext. 256

abarker

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