Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living
Posted on | December 22, 2009 | Comments Off
A new book entitled “Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living” by Robert and Brenda Vale makes the case that the carbon footprint of a medium sized dog is twice as much as a sports utility vehicle.
The land required to generate food for a “medium” sized dog is about 2.07 acres. An SUV driving 6,200 miles a year and the energy to build the car takes about 1 acre.
“Owning a dog really is quite an extravagance, mainly because of the carbon footprint of meat,” said John Barrett at the Stockholm Environment Institute.
Other animals, such as cats, have nearly the same impact. A hen is more equally balanced if lays eggs. “Rabbits are good, provided you eat them,” said Robert Vale.
Tags: carbon footprint > climate change > dogs > environment > pets > sustainable living