Jonathan Safran Foer’s new book Eating Animals is a thorough look at the ethical and environmental quandaries posed by America’s appetite for meat. His wish is to foster more mindful eating, whether we choose to forego animal-based foods or simply reduce their consumption. Foer graciously ruminated on my meat-y questions when I spoke with him by phone last week.

KT: Your book is making quite a splash; it seems like you have this huge potential to influence a lot of people who haven’t previously given this a whole lot of thought.

JSF: I hope so. I know the topic is not easy to approach. But I also know that if the conversation is had correctly, it’s a conversation Americans are not only willing to have, they want to have.

When I did “Ellen,” I looked at her audience – it’s not Berkeley granola-eaters. It’s people on a fixed income, it’s a lot of mothers, a lot of people who come there from the middle of America. And people care.

KT: The industrial meat industry is attempting to dismiss your critique of their operating methods in the same way they’ve attacked Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser and all the others who’ve written exposes of factory farming. You presumably expected some backlash; has it been better or worse than you anticipated?

JSF: Infinitely better. The book’s now been reviewed, I don’t know, a hundred times or whatever it is, and there are enough people who think I’m an jerk, there are enough people who think the style is annoying. But there has not been a single argument in defense of factory farming, or against the premise of the book. Not even a whiff of it.

KT: Let me ask you, is the term “conscientious carnivore” an oxymoron?

JSF: No, and I think that points to something important, which is that these words “carnivore” and “vegetarian” do a real disservice to the conversation. They imply an on/off switch rather than a spectrum. When it’s framed as an all-or-nothing, people who don’t feel like they can do everything sometimes think they should do nothing.

KT: Which is why I so like the Meatless Monday campaign. It’s all about moderation – start your week off right. Positive change. Speaking of positive change, I’ve always had this fantasy that factory farming could become obsolete in our lifetime.

JSF: I think it’s not a fantasy. Remember it only came into being during our parents’ lifetime. And you can rest assured it’s going to disappear. The only question is, is it going to disappear voluntarily or involuntarily?

KT: Glenn Beck and PETA’s Ingrid Newkirk recently ganged up on Al Gore, calling him a hypocrite for not adopting a vegetarian diet. If you happened to find yourself seated next to the former vice president at some gala or forum, what would you say to him on this topic?

JSF: He’s a very smart guy, and I’m sure he’s thought of this stuff before. He knows quite a bit more about the environment than Ingrid Newkirk or Glenn Beck. He has a role in the world, an enormously important role. If he were to declare his vegetarianism tomorrow, it’s conceivable that he wouldn’t be able to do his role in the same way. These are the realities of the world. It shouldn’t be, but it’s considered a fringe position. Yet things are changing. 18% of college students now follow a plant-based diet.

KT: Would you be willing to share your Thanksgiving menu with us?

JSF: I would if I knew it! You can probably guess what it won’t include. But I don’t yet know what it’s going to be. There’s some pressure on me to figure it out (laughs.)

KT: You might need to figure that out before you go on Martha Stewart.

JSF: Oh, maybe I’ll even prepare something with her. Wouldn’t that be funny?

The global Meatless Monday movement continues to gain momentum. Britain, Brazil, Holland, Finland and Taiwan have already launched their programs. Now, we’d like to welcome the wonderful people of Canada and congratulate them as they begin their own Meatless Monday!

The Canadian Meatless Monday launched at this year’s Taste of Health convention in Vancouver, Canada. Taste of Health is an opportunity for those concerned with healthy, environmentally friendly food to come together. The convention’s 6,000 attendees welcomed Meatless Monday with open arms.

Nancy Callan, a member of the Board of Directors of Earthsave, and a Meatless Monday advocate, urges Canadians to join the movement:

Unlike many of the solutions to global warming that require government action, Meatless Monday is a tangible personal action that every Canadian can easily embrace. More greenhouse gasses can be prevented by going meatless one day a week than by eating locally seven days a week.

Meatless Monday is quickly gaining popularity in Canada and all Canadians can be part of it! Encourage your friends, family and local restaurants to go meatless on Monday. You can also get involved by contacting the campaign. Remember too that it’s easy to have a Meatless Monday no matter where you live! Sign up for the Meatless Monday pledge to improve both your health and that of the planet!

The candidates had diverse backgrounds with respect to food policy in Brooklyn. Joe Nardiello (Republican), born and raised in Brooklyn has been a Park Slope Food Co-op member for the past five years. Brad Lander (Democrat) attended the Brooklyn Food Conference, and worked on development of East NY farms, which is a model of inner city farming and food organizing. David Pechefsky (Green) has a direct familial connection with farming as his mom grew up on their family’s farm in Kansas.  He is passionate about creating a real “food democracy”.

Each candidate was asked to present their position on initiatives currently before the city council, first among these the proposed Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program. FRESH would help bring supermarkets to underserved neighborhoods by offering zoning and financial incentives to property owners, developers and grocery store operators. However, the legislation does not address the quality of the produce that would be sold, for example, only the quantity, which raises some concerns. Lander expressed support for supermarkets in underserved neighborhoods as a means of promoting public health.  He would like to see standards set for food quality. Pechefsky prefered alternatives to the supermarket model, such as CSAs and co-ops, and encouraged the idea of seeking a range of ways to get healthy food into city neighborhoods.

The second council initiative discussed was the Paid Sick Time Act. This bill would require private employers to provide paid sick time to employees in New York City, including restaurant workers. Restaurant workers often can’t afford to stay home because they are paid laid low wages and sometimes lose their jobs if they take time off.  As a result, many workers in the food industry go to work when sick, increasingly the likelihood of spreading illness, which is a public health concern. Lander and Pechefksy both expressed support for the bill. However, Nardiello expressed concern for the small business owners, stating that giving workers paid sick time will cut into the already tight budgets of these small businesses.

On the topic of school food, Lander explained that the city council can’t direct the school system’s purchasing decisions and thus can’t mandate that food from local farms be sourced into school kitchens. He recommended that teachers and parents organize  grassroots/community campaigns to influence the schools directly. Pechefsky agreed, saying that the city council responds to the movement and when pressure is applied in a certain area, people in power will react. At the beginning of the debate, P.S. 10 Principal Laura Scott noted that the school has brought in nutritionists to do workshops with the kids and that the “Healthy Steps” committee, which co-sponsored the debate, hosts a lecture series, and health expo during the school year. These are small steps that can  effect a school’s population immediately, rather than waiting for policy change.

I was eagerly anticipating the candidates’ answers to the questions Nancy Romer (member of the Brooklyn Food Coalition ) posed: “What are your top three demands from the Brooklyn Food Coalition? In terms of grassroots pressure, what should community members be working on to influence food policy?”

I am disappointed to say that there weren’t many concrete actions recommended by the candidates. On the one hand, it’s great to see council candidates talking about these issues and there were certainly important topics that were addressed. However, at times it seemed that there were no thorough answers from any of the three candidates. In fact, the newly elected Lander said that he doesn’t think he should be telling people what to work on. When Lander takes office in January, it will be necessary to show him that food issues affect the lives of New Yorkers in countless ways. This debate told us that grassroots efforts will be critical to steering legislation and policy change. Thanks to the organization of the Brooklyn Food Coalition and like-minded grassroots groups, it seems local food policy, which is critical to the future health and well-being of New Yorkers will be dictated by the demands of the people.

There seems to be a lot of chatter lately about the nutritional value of meatless meals. While some agree limiting meat is a healthy choice, others worry that plant-based fare won’t provide adequate protein. Truth is, by having a Meatless Monday, you not only are nourishing your body with sufficient and diverse protein sources, you’re taking strides toward better health.

During a recent USDA press conference, a reporter asked the U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack how he felt about Meatless Monday in Baltimore City Public Schools:

Mr. Secretary, I was wondering if it bothered you… that school districts like Baltimore, Maryland institute Meatless Mondays… not letting the children have protein in the diet by doing that.

The misconception that meat is the only source of protein is a common one. But in truth, protein can be adequately obtained from beans, nuts, whole grains and vegetables. In most parts of the world meat isn’t the primary source of protein in the average diet. Indeed, globally, only 30% of protein is derived from animal sources!

Dr. Marion Nestle, a nationally renowned food expert and professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, agrees that a proper nutritional balance can be easily obtained through plant-based meals:

All proteins are made up of the same amino acids. ALL. No exceptions. The difference between animal and vegetable proteins is in the content of certain amino acids. If vegetable proteins are mixed, the differences get made up. Even if they aren’t mixed, all you need to do to get the right amount of low amino acids is to eat more of that food. There is no “need” for animal proteins at all.

Melissa Mahoney, the dietician responsible for the nutrition of the Baltimore City Public Schools, selected Meatless Monday as a positive way to introduce healthy options to the students she serves. Each Meatless Monday meal provides more protein than the USDA requires. The menu consists of beans, milk, grains and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, ensuring that the students “don’t lose out on a single gram.”

Further, the children who attend Baltimore City Public Schools are learning the value of a varied diet firsthand. Not only do they enjoy a multitude of options in the cafeteria, they discuss nutrition in their science and health classes. According to The Atlantic, “…in the elementary and middle school grades, teachers are talking about Meatless Monday in relation to the food pyramid.” The diverse program developed there ensures the student body will be capable of making nutritionally sound choices as they move into adulthood.

You too can explore the limitless possibilities of plant-based protein! Here is just a short list of protein sources you can enjoy this Meatless Monday, complete with a recipe to get you started:

Peanut Butter- 4 grams per tbsp
Peanut Banana Pudding

Broccoli- 4 grams in 1 cup
Eastern Vegetable Noodle Soup

Soymilk- 7 grams in 1 cup
Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Tofu- 11 grams in 5 oz
Spinach Tofu Curry

Lentils- 18 grams in 1 cup
Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

You may be surprised to learn the culinary potential of the pumpkin goes way beyond a can of pumpkin pie mix. Underused in American cooking, this nutritional powerhouse is revered for its leaves, seeds and roasted flesh in other countries. A member of the gourd family, pumpkins are packed with dietary fiber, potassium and vitamins A, B and C. With so many nutrients and very few calories, it’s no wonder Jack O’ Lantern can’t stop grinning!

Carving pumpkins wasn’t a Halloween tradition until the 20th century, but the fall harvest has traditionally been the season to celebrate the pumpkin. This year, make full use of the pumpkin and put its leaves in pasta sauce or fry the flesh to cook up some pumpkin tempura. The Thai often steam custard inside of a pumpkin, so take a tip from Thailand and use a hallowed out pumpkin as an innovative serving dish.

When cooking with pumpkin, remember that canned pumpkin puree can be a good time-saver if you’re in a hurry. But cooking your own lowers sodium content — and gives your dish a nice roasted flavor. To make your own puree, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and roast, cut side down, in a 400 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. Remember to save the seeds. Soaking them in water for a few minutes will release any excess pumpkin pulp, then toasting them with a sprinkling of salt and olive oil will ensure a tasty snack. Pumpkin seeds have been used to treat anxiety and 1 gram of the pumpkin seed protein contains more tryptophan than a full glass of milk. Hand them out this Halloween and see the grins of the trick-or-treaters light up like Jack-O-Lanterns.

The No Impact Experiment is a community based project created by the Huffington Post. It started on Sunday, October 18th, and participants gradually reduce or eliminate everyday behaviors that negatively impact the environment. Each day of the week offers a new theme to try (Friday, for example, focuses on reducing water waste), and each new challenge builds on the ones that preceded it. By the end of the week, participants will have drastically cut their climate impact, participated in community service and learned about their individual strengths and abilities. What’s more, Meatless Monday is highlighted as the perfect way to cut your personal carbon footprint!

The creators of No Impact Week do not guilt their audience by providing a long list of figures about consumption and its environmental impact. Instead they offer tips and ideas on how to cut back on climate-changing activities. The week begins on Sunday, with an evaluation of what you consume on a daily basis. We are encouraged to stop buying unnecessary products and to look closely at how much garbage we produce. Monday’s goal is to eliminate unnecessary trash in the form of food containers and convenience items. Tuesday is all about transportation, and participants are encouraged to find a means of travel besides their personal vehicle. Wednesday focuses on food; the goal is to choose groceries that were produced locally with little to no packaging.

On Thursday we are asked to look at how we consume energy. We are encouraged to turn off appliances and lights that not absolutely necessary. Friday is devoted to the reduction of water waste. Saturday is a day of service. Participants can use the time that would normally go to shopping, surfing the web or watching t.v. to make a difference in their community. Sunday is again a day of reflection, only now we can ponder the events of the past week and enjoy the relaxing simplicity we have created.

Each day is filled with tips to get you moving in the right direction. The No Impact Experiment suggests a meatless day to greatly reduce your impact on the environment without a great deal of effort. They recommend Meatless Monday as an easy way to remember to cut back, and as a resource for recipes and tips. Meat production accounts for nearly one fifth of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions and requires a great deal of water to produce. As The No Impact Experiment notes, “there’s no denying it– eating fewer animal products can be the single greenest move you can make.”

Cut back on your environmental impact this week with a Meatless Monday, and check out The Huffington Post for more ideas on how to reduce your carbon footprint. Here are some additional tips on how to eat green thanks to The No Impact Experiment:

• Practice “passive cooking” by using leftover boiling water to softer and even lightly cook (or steam) things. Instead of sauteing or braising beans, massage them with some oil and vinegar until soft and wilted.

• Find your nearest local, sustainable and organic bakery and farmer’s market in the Eat Well Guide.

• Find ways to use your oven for shorter periods. Put food in during the preheating stage and turn the over off early yo let the heated air finish cooking your food!

• Save money and eat healthier by preserving food. You can expand your local food options through the seasons by canning or freezing local produce year round. This is a great group activity.

• Pack school or office sandwiches and snacks in reusable or washable cloth bags. Use glass or stainless steel lunch boxes or To-Go Ware.

• Ask for tap water instead of bottled and only ask for water if you’re going to drink it.

The Baltimore City Public School system is about to become the first fully Meatless Monday school system in the U.S. They’re joining a growing international movement of individuals, organizations, communities and cities making the commitment to lower meat consumption and enjoy a plant-based diet on Mondays.

The 80,000 young people BCPS serves will begin each week with a Meatless Monday menu. And that’s not all. The school system has introduced a wide variety of projects to ensure its students eat and learn about healthy, environmentally friendly choices. BCPS has teemed up with local farmers and distributors to provide students fresh, locally raised fruits, vegetables and milk. They’ve also introduced Great Kids Farm, a 33-acre teaching farm, home to chickens, goats and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Educators on the farm teach kids and adults how to produce home-grown fresh food, even in an urban setting. BCPS is also in the process of developing gardens for each of the system’s 200 schools.

We at Meatless Monday hope the example BCPS is setting will help inspire the nation and serve as a model to transform school food systems coast to coast. Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future shares our hope. That’s why they’ve chosen to honor BCPS with the annual CLF Award. The CLF Award is given to individuals and groups that strive to advance our understanding of the complex relationship between humans and the environment. BCPS has earned this award by fostering a positive relationship between children, the food they eat and their surroundings.

We at Meatless Monday would like to extend our sincerest congratulations and thanks to BCPS for their dedication to children’s nutrition and education.

The CLF Award will be presented on Tuesday, September 29th at Great Kids Farm.

The beginning of autumn marks the point when many of our favorite fruits and vegetables are ripe for the picking. This year, harvest has become a national affair. Michelle Obama’s famed White House garden is in bloom and ready to offer its bounty to a country hungry for nutritional guidance. Food columnist and author Mark Bittman recently journeyed to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to discover what the Obamas can teach us about healthful eating.

The White House garden contains about 60 different kinds of fruits, vegetables and herbs. So far this year it has yielded over 400 pounds of fresh produce for the First Family and a community soup kitchen. According to Bittman, the garden will be a sustainable food source for years to come. “With proper tending, this garden will continue to produce food infinitely, without causing a negative impact on the environment.” The White House garden fits the Meatless Monday philosophy that food should be fresh, nutritious, sustainable and available to everyone.

Sam Kass is in charge of ensuring that the White House harvest is well cared for, both outside and in the kitchen. He is the White House assistant chef and food-incentive coordinator. Kass is an advocate for healthier eating who believes that simple, whole ingredients make for flavorful, satisfying meals. He feels that “the responsibility of all chefs, of all people who cook, is the care and well-being of the people they’re feeding.”

Kass is the ideal nutrition spokesman for the Obama administration, which hopes to serve the American public in a similar fashion. According to Melody Barnes, the president’s domestic-policy advisor, “the president has principals for what he wants to achieve, such as setting a higher standard for nutrition, putting more fruits and vegetables on Americans’ tables, making sure kids receive nutritious foods at school, and so on… Our goal now is to fully formulate those principals so that next year we’ll be ready to properly engage with Congress on legislation.” The Obamas hope that the White House garden demonstrates their commitment to America’s health and sets an example that the nation can live by.

Now that we have received an in-depth look at the First Family’s food philosophy, one nagging question remains: what do the Obamas actually eat? The White House’s executive chef noted that the Obamas eat at home “at least five days a week” and enjoy balanced, fresh meals that are grilled or simply prepared with olive oil and light salt and pepper. The Obamas also focus on their fruits and veggies and take full advantage of their backyard garden.

Experience our nation’s bounty this harvest season by making fresh produce the star of every meal. The occasional meatless dish allows you to fully experience the flavors of autumn while helping our country’s struggle with climate change. Watch the Meatless Monday video to learn how cutting meat one day a week fits with President Obama’s goals of positive change and nutritional awareness.

Long Island’s coastal waters are no strangers to trouble.  Rapid development, harmful algal blooms, invasive species and increasing water temperatures are just a handful of threats faced by Long Island Sound and the South Shore Estuary.  But one little-known menace is the effect that National Grid’s five Long Island power plants have on the region’s coastal ecosystems.

Steam electric power plants require enormous amounts of water to operate.  The five Long Island power plants can withdraw up to two billion gallons of estuarine water each day for condenser cooling.  Like giant vacuums, these power plants also draw in and kill over 10 billion fish and other aquatic organisms, including eggs and larvae, while trapping larger adult fish and wildlife on intake screens.

While the precise effects on the region’s coastal waters of destroying 10 billion eggs, larvae and juvenile fish is not yet fully understood, this needless fish kill is a direct affront to the ecosystem, to local fishermen who are required to practice conservation, and to the public that has invested millions of dollars in the restoration of Long Island’s coastal environment.

But it doesn’t need to be this way.  There are straightforward, proven technologies that can reduce and even eliminate the damage that National Grid’s power plants inflict on our coastal waters.  For example, closed-cycle cooling is the industry standard for new power plants.  It reduces water intake by over 95 percent, thereby dramatically reducing the amount of marine life destroyed.  Closed-cycle cooling is standard technology for new power plants – indeed, no one would even consider building a plant on Long Island without this technology today.  Closed-cycle cooling technology can be retrofitted onto older plants or, better yet, those plants can be repowered, so that their antiquated boilers and turbines are upgraded, reducing air pollution and minimizing aquatic destruction at the same time.

Recently, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released draft permits that would require two of National Grid’s power plants to reduce the number of fish they kill each year. The public is asked to comment on these draft permits, with a deadline of late September for one plant and early October for the other.  In the upcoming months, the DEC will release permits for the other three plants.

In conjunction with the release of the draft permits, Citizens Campaign for the Environment released a white paper and brochure detailing the effects of National Grid’s Long Island power plants on coastal fish.  Be sure to visit CCE’s website and learn what you can do about Long Island’s power plant fish kill.

America has a well-earned reputation for serving up large quantities of cheap, fast food. Such meals may seem like a bargain on the surface, but a closer look shows us that these highly processed, industrialized food products have a multitude of hidden expenses. Brian Walsh, a health and science writer for TIME Magazine, recently tallied up the impact that industrial farming is having on the environment, our health and the national budget. Though he follows in the footsteps of many notable advocates – including Frances Moore Lappé and Michael Pollan – Walsh hopes that, by showing us the numbers, we will finally hold ourselves accountable.

Modern industrialized farming is severely impacting the environment. Our current food system accounts for 19% of all fossil fuel use in the United States, more than any other sector of the economy. The emissions from these fuels leads to increased climate change, and dependence on them leaves our food system hanging in the balance. In a recent interview with WNYC radio, Brian Walsh noted that, as fuel prices rise, so too does the cost of food:

“Last year, when there was a spike in food costs, that was partially due to the fact that oil was so expensive… If one of the things that keeps (the food system) cheap is its ability to use petroleum… you have to worry… is that sustainable? What’s going to happen when it costs two, three times as much as it does now?”

Waterways and wildlife are paying the price for our love of fossil fuels too. Petroleum is one of the ingredients used in industrial fertilizer. The United States uses 23 million tons of chemical fertilizer every year (10 million tons are used on corn alone). Runoff from fields carries these chemicals to our streams and oceans. This results in “dead zones”; pockets in the ocean that are almost completely void of oxygen and therefore cannot sustain life. Runoff from areas around the Mississippi river have resulted in a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico that is over 6,000 square miles in area. This greatly impacts the region’s fishing industry, which loses the profit normally generated by the 212,000 metric tons of seafood that disappear each year The ramifications of cheap food do not end with the environment. Processed foods and industrialized meats are impacting our national health, both physically and economically. 70% of antibiotics used in the United States are given to livestock so that they might survive the conditions on factory farms. Antibiotics may make meat more affordable, but Walsh argues that there are long term problems:

“Nowadays farmers can grow (cows and chickens) incredibly quickly and that’s one of the reasons why its less expensive… but the problem is, when you’re using a lot of antibiotics like that, you promote the growth of resistant bacteria. Every time you use an antibiotic drug, bacteria will react to it and some will begin to develop a resistance. And that’s worrying because then you get a rise in infections in human beings that can’t be treated by antibiotics, and we’re already seeing that…”

It is estimated that antibiotic-resistant illnesses cost our public health system 4 to 5 billion dollars every year.

Our obsession with cheap food greatly contributes to the obesity epidemic as well. Most American livestock is fed corn, which only increases meat’s fat content. Corn is also used to produce many of our favorite processed foods. To ensure that corn (and by proxy our dinner) stays cheap, the industry receives $50 billion in government subsidies every year. The obesity epidemic accounts for $147 billion of the nation’s yearly healthcare expenses. When you consider that the American taxpayer is fronting the bill, the price of cheap food is decidedly more than what we’re paying at the drive-thru.

Corn-based, processed food is thriving at the expense of more nutritious alternatives. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of potato chips or 875 calories of soda but just 250 calories of vegetables or 170 calories of fresh fruit. This leaves struggling families in a predicament; they can choose to buy small quantities of nutritious foods or filling qualities of unhealthy, processed foods. When this is taken into consideration it is no wonder that research has linked obesity to socioeconomic status.

The environmental and health costs of meat consumption will only increase if we continue at our current pace. Americans already eat four times as much meat and dairy as the rest of the world. Walsh suggests that, as developing countries adopt western values, the demand for meat will steadily rise.

As the developing world grows richer, hundreds of millions of people will want to shift to the same calorie-heavy, protein-rich diet that has made Americans so unhealthy – demand for meat and poultry worldwide is set to rise 25% by 2015 – but the earth can no longer deliver.

Faced with the ever-growing toll that cheap food is taking on the environment, our health, and the national budget, many are looking for ways to cut costs. Going meatless on Monday is a great way to do just that. Reducing consumption of meats is one of the easiest and most profitable actions any individual can make, as Michael Pollan notes. Not only does it cut your risk for many preventable diseases, but it also reduces carbon dioxide emissions, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, chemical runoff, and disruption of natural ecosystems.

More, a resurgence of sustainable, local agriculture is imperative if we hope to reduce the expenses caused by our current food practices. Today less than 1% of America’s cropland is farmed organically. Of that land, much of it belongs to companies that have joined the recent green craze, hoping to grab a share of the organic market. Though these products reduce the amount of chemicals going into our food, they still tend to travel great distances from the farm to your table, and continue to be overly processed. Food grown locally saves fossil fuels and tends to be fresher. Acknowledgment of our need to think sustainably is increasing, and so too are accessible options for selecting greener groceries.

The good news is farmer’s markets are on the rise nationwide. Even urban communities have seen a recent resurgence of gardens, markets, and co-ops. Purchasing produce from a farmer’s market ensures that your money is being spent on nutritionally dense food and also helps the country’s small businesses. Some farmer’s markets have even begun accepting food stamps, thereby assuring the right of all individuals to have healthy, satisfying food.

We, as a nation, must begin thinking about the consequences of our choices. As we begin to demand more viable options, we’ll see an increase in availability. One easy thing we can all do for now is go meatless once a week to preserve our health and save the planet. Make this Monday meatless and together we can curb unhealthy, unsustainable food!