Although I’ve “thought about” going vegetarian for years, I never could make the leap. Then I saw Sarah Palin standing in front of that turkey being slaughtered a few days before Thanksgiving. I realized that I was using the same excuses for eating meat that Palin used to defend her oblivious ignorance — “I didn’t see the turkey being killed” and “It’s not fair to hold me responsible for the actions of the farmer.”

So I decided to give up meat and poultry on the spot. I’m still eating fish and dairy products so I’m not total vegan. But giving up meat right before the big holiday feasts turned out to be a lot easier than I thought — it leaves more room for dessert!

restore fertility to the soil. i know vegetarian farmers who keep animals because they understand how crucial manure is to a vegetable grower, especially in the absence of fertilizers made from fossil fuels.

stop global warming by sequestering carbon in the ground. numerous studies have shown that properly managed pasture for livestock can store more carbon than wild pasture. there’s even one from the FAO (Neely and Bunning, 2008), whose 18% figure you cite above.

i’ve barely scratched the surface on the topic, and you might be skeptical. all this runs counter to conventional foodie wisdom. please do contact me at andrewbarnet@gmail.com if you have any questions. i’d like to continue the conversation.