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Become a Weekday Vegetarian

All Practically Green: 2,811 or so people have DONE this action so far.

All Practically Green: 1,099 or so people have ADDED this to their action plan so far.

Why is "Become a Weekday Vegetarian " green?

In 2010 the founder of Treehugger.com gave a TED talk about becoming a Weekday Vegetarian. The concept took off; it’s perfect for people who want to eat some meat, but also understand the personal, environmental, and even economic benefits of eating vegetarian.

The average family of four consumes between 500 to 800 pounds of meat yearly. The global demand for meat has lead to an increase in factory farms. This mass production consumes enormous amounts of energy, pollutes the air and waterways, and requires increasing amounts of corn, soy, and other grains—often genetically modified and intensively sprayed with pesticides. This has led to the destruction of vast plots of the world’s tropical rain forests. There are many studies comparing vegetarian and meat-based diets. One often quoted stat: a meal of fruits, vegetables, and grains generates 24 times less greenhouse gas emissions than 6 ounces of conventionally raised beef. Meat from local, well-raised, or even organic animals also have an impact, albeit smaller.

How to: Become a Weekday Vegetarian

Either don’t eat meat during the week or just try to eat vegetarian most of the time.

If you’re eating conventionally produced dairy, you’re still involved with the factory farm system. Dairy from local, pastured animals—preferably organic-- have a lighter footprint.

The health benefits of eating vegetarian depend on what you eat--processed packaged foods have fewer nutrients than whole foods. There has been some concern about the health effects of highly processed and genetically modified soy.

Spend what you save during the week on grass-fed and/or organic meat.