SectionsNew book on sustainability uses slanted statistics against dogs
Gabriel McLaughlin
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Opinion
Almost daily, it seems there is a new study released detailing the atrocities that our mere existence is wreaking upon our environment. Now, the finger of blame is being pointed at our four-legged friends.
In their new book, "Time to Eat the Dog: the real guide to sustainable living," Robert and Brenda Vale claim that dogs have a greater impact on the environment than SUVs.
Who knew that poodles and Hummers had anything in common?
The Vales claim that that the average dog eats around 300 pounds of meat and 200 pounds of grain per year and that the cultivation and distribution of these foods come at a great expense to the environment.
After some elaborate math, the Vales then estimate that a 4.6 liter Toyota Land Cruiser driven 6,000 miles per year has half of the environmental impact of a medium-size dog.
The Vales stop short of being the anti-pet Gestapo, though. They suggest that pet dogs be replaced with pet chickens or rabbits, "provided you eat them." What a great idea. If you can't be with the one you love, eat the one you're with.
The Vales research is dubious though.
They assume that there is acre upon acre of cattle, chicken, lamb and grain all being raised with the specific purpose of feeding our pets. If this were true, the Vales would have a legitimate grip.
But, according to the Animal Protection Institute, "the pet food industry is an extension of the human food industries." Pet food contains the byproducts and wastes that are considered "unfit for human consumption."
In a way, pet food production helps the environment. Pets eat the products that would otherwise rot in landfills. The Vales' research also claims that the average amount a car is driven per year is 6,000 miles. The EPA estimates that the average car is driven is double that, at 12,000 miles per year.
Using the correct numbers makes the dog the lesser polluter. Yet still, the Vales and researchers like them continue to bludgeon our faces in with new research showing the way we live our lives is destroying the planet.
In their new book, "Time to Eat the Dog: the real guide to sustainable living," Robert and Brenda Vale claim that dogs have a greater impact on the environment than SUVs.
Who knew that poodles and Hummers had anything in common?
The Vales claim that that the average dog eats around 300 pounds of meat and 200 pounds of grain per year and that the cultivation and distribution of these foods come at a great expense to the environment.
After some elaborate math, the Vales then estimate that a 4.6 liter Toyota Land Cruiser driven 6,000 miles per year has half of the environmental impact of a medium-size dog.
The Vales stop short of being the anti-pet Gestapo, though. They suggest that pet dogs be replaced with pet chickens or rabbits, "provided you eat them." What a great idea. If you can't be with the one you love, eat the one you're with.
The Vales research is dubious though.
They assume that there is acre upon acre of cattle, chicken, lamb and grain all being raised with the specific purpose of feeding our pets. If this were true, the Vales would have a legitimate grip.
But, according to the Animal Protection Institute, "the pet food industry is an extension of the human food industries." Pet food contains the byproducts and wastes that are considered "unfit for human consumption."
In a way, pet food production helps the environment. Pets eat the products that would otherwise rot in landfills. The Vales' research also claims that the average amount a car is driven per year is 6,000 miles. The EPA estimates that the average car is driven is double that, at 12,000 miles per year.
Using the correct numbers makes the dog the lesser polluter. Yet still, the Vales and researchers like them continue to bludgeon our faces in with new research showing the way we live our lives is destroying the planet.
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Fail Police
posted 11/04/09 @ 2:16 PM CST
"After some elaborate math, the Vales then estimate that a 4.6 liter Toyota Land Cruiser driven 6,000 miles per year has half of the environmental impact of a medium-size dog. (Continued…)
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