Books on environmental reasons to be vegetarian?

December 3, 2006 10:38 AM

A friend is looking for references (particularly printed book references) that focuses on environmental reasons for vegetarianism/veganism.

We are aware of Robbins, Lappe, Markus, etc, but there is a bit more focus in those sources on health and animal welfare reasons for vegetarianism than she's looking for. Basically, she's trying to persuade someone whose main interest is the environment and who will not be especially won over by primarily dietary/nutritional concerns or the horrors of meat production and poor treatment of animals, except as they relate to overall environmental issues.

She's especially looking for something she can hand to him to read (think Christmas gift) and would hopefully not be too cumbersome to read and not too dry, while not being too superficial.

I am a vegan myself and all of these various issues are important to me personally, but for purposes of this question the focus is the environment. Thanks.

posted by redheadeb to food & drink (15 comments total)

I know the OP is already aware of this book, but for anyone else reading this thread, my girlfriend very highly recommends Diet for a Small Planet (Lappe). redheadeb, would you mind listing those other books which you found useful/informative?
posted by TheNewWazoo at 10:53 AM on December 3, 2006

Not a perfect fit, but definitely of interest: The Omnivore's Dilemma. I'll be interested in the recommendations in this thread, myself.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:03 AM on December 3, 2006

Sure, some of the books considered have been:

The Food Revolution, John Robbins

Healthy at 100, John Robbins

Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating, Jane Goodall

Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating, Erik Marcus

Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet, Frances Moore Lappe and Anna Lappe

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Michael Pollan

The China Study, T. Colin Campbell (nutrition focused)

All of these books are wonderful for many reasons but don't exactly address my friend's particular need.
posted by redheadeb at 11:08 AM on December 3, 2006

The Veggie Revolution? Sounds like a pleasant read at least.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:10 AM on December 3, 2006

redheadeb beat me to The Omnivore's Dilemma, but let me second it. He actually comes out sort of against vegetarianism (when the meat comes from a naturally-raised source), but does condemn the environmental impact of feedlots.

Plus it's a real page-turner and won't feel like a chore to get through.
posted by molybdenum at 11:33 AM on December 3, 2006

I just finished The Way We Eat by Peter Singer and Jim Mason and enjoyed it quite a bit. It eventually comes down in the vegan camp due to both environmental and animal cruelty issues, but the approach conveys a lot of information on the ethical issues of food consumption and I, an omnivore who intends to stay that way, albeit more carefully, didn't find it too preachy on the subject.
posted by Schismatic at 11:34 AM on December 3, 2006

I have a small press book that came out in 1993 called "The Earth and You: Eating for Two," that is all about environmental eating, and does go in to vegetarianism a fair amount. It's a short book and it's quite earnest, but I was surprised at how ahead of their time the authors were. They talk about the environmental effects of organic vs. non-organic farming, the use of preservatives, and a food-distribution chain that doesn't take petroleum use seriously.


It looks like Amazon has it.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 11:36 AM on December 3, 2006

A few links:
Bicycling wastes gas? Yes, if your fuel is beef
Study: vegan diets healthier for planet, people than meat diets
It's better to green your diet than your car
posted by davar at 11:44 AM on December 3, 2006

Beyond Beef by Jeremy Rifkin.
posted by meehawl at 11:46 AM on December 3, 2006

Although I'm marking some as "best answer" this question obviously has many best answers. And I'm personally interested in all of them, so keep 'em coming! Thanks
posted by redheadeb at 12:03 PM on December 3, 2006

Diet for a New America by ____ Robins. I can't remember his first name, but he was heir to the Baskin Robbins ice cream fortune.
posted by bilabial at 1:19 PM on December 3, 2006

Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy changed my life. It's interesting because it's written by a conservative (one-time speechwriter for George Bush); he's one of the rare few who emphasizes the fact that the root word of "conservative" is "conserve."
posted by jbickers at 2:40 PM on December 3, 2006

If you're looking at older stuff like "Diet for a Small Planet" be sure to add in on your own things like methane from cattle and its impact on global warming.

Also, check out the NRDC's factsheet on how much water is used to grow alfalfa for cattle, which will contribute to any future California water shortage.
posted by salvia at 3:58 PM on December 3, 2006

I’ve been about 75% vegetarian since 1969. I’ve never had a Big Mac, because I stopped eating hamburgers before the Big Mac was invented. I just tell the other carpenters that I don’t eat anything with hair on it and predictable “hilarity” ensues. Then, when I talk my way out of that, they aren’t offended by my “vegetarianism”.

People carry a lot of emotional baggage with their food, so the normal, upstanding American meat eater gets righteous like a professional wrestler over vegetarianism.

Anyway, my cousin just gave me a book to help me thru the last 25%... and more. Its Mindful-Eating/dp/0446533629">Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall. It paints a big picture of which vegetarianism is only a part. And its ideally suited for hunt and peck reading... you can open it up anywhere and find a compelling five minute read.

Here’s a sampling from the list of famous vegetarians from the book:
Hank Aaron, Benjamin Franklin, Willem Dafoe, Albert Einstein, Woody Harrelson, Paul Newman

http://www.amazon.com/Harvest-Hope-Guide-Mindful-Eating/dp/0446533629.
posted by Huplescat at 6:18 PM on December 3, 2006

Please do whatever you can to forget the previous post.

I’ve been about 75% vegetarian since 1969. I’ve never had a Big Mac, because I stopped eating hamburgers before the Big Mac was invented. I just tell the other carpenters that I don’t eat anything with hair on it and predictable “hilarity” ensues. Then I talk my way out of that and they aren’t offended by my “vegetarianism”.

People carry a lot of emotional baggage with their food, so the normal, upstanding American meat eater gets righteous like a professional wrestler over vegetarianism.

Anyway, my cousin just gave me a book to help me thru the last 25%... and more. Its Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall. It paints a big picture of which vegetarianism is only a part. And its ideally suited for hunt and peck reading... you can open it up anywhere and find a five minute read.

Here’s a sampling from the list of famous vegetarians from the book:
Hank Aaron, Benjamin Franklin, Willem Dafoe, Albert Einstein, Woody Harrelson, Paul Newman
posted by Huplescat at 6:28 PM on December 3, 2006