Almost everyone calls himself or herself an “environmentalist.” Maybe you recycle, pick up litter, or conserve energy in your home. But did you know that if you want to help the Earth, the best thing you can do is to stop eating meat? Here’s why:

Pollution: Can you imagine a city without a sewer system? That’s what factory farms are like. Thousands of animals producing thousands of pounds of, well, poop. The poop goes into “lagoons,” which often spill over into lakes and streams.

Land: On 1 acre of land, you can grow 20,000 pounds of potatoes, or you can grow 165 pounds of beef in the same space. About 87 percent of the farmland in the U.S. is used to raise animals for food.

Water: More than half of all water used in the U.S. goes to raising animals for food!

Deforestation: Everybody’s heard about rain forests and how they’re disappearing. Where are they going? They’re being chopped down to make way for grazing land for cows who will be killed for food.

Energy: Producing one fast-food hamburger uses enough fuel to drive a small car 20 miles and enough energy for 17 showers. If you eat hamburgers, you may as well let your faucets drip 24 hours a day.

The best thing to do for the environment is to go vegetarian!

Save some animals, the Earth, and Mom and Dad’s heart by ordering a free vegetarian starter kit for your family here.

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