Wow, this picture says a thousand words--a few times over. Most people will be reading the obvious text: Most people will be reading the obvious text: affordable, healthy fast food just ain't happenin'. But this graphic tells another story too. Ask yourself this: why is the government paying so much pork to the meat farmers? The answer is: they are not.
The subsidies which fatten the meat section in the pyramid on the left are primarily paid to producers of soy and corn products. This image vividly demonstrates the intense inefficiency of meat as a calorie source. It is this same inefficiency which has led to at least one calculation that eating meat contributes 21% of the carbon dioxide which can be attributed to human activity.
The choice to become a vegetarian beckons once again. A seemingly hard choice for the omnivore, but the lazy way out if you want to make a difference--because it is certainly easier than changing the politics of farm subsidies. If you cannot imagine a life without meat, at least take a tip from the food pyramid. The average American consumed 200 pounds of meat in 2005, almost 9 ounces per day. If you enter your age, height and weight at my pyramid, you can get a personal recommendation for meat consumption. A lot of people will find that they can do their health as well as the environment a favor by eating at least 50% less meat than they are eating today.
