Make emissions visible, Reform federal subsidies, Protect Ecosystem Services – all of these would highlight the damage our industrial agriculture system does to our environment.

Sorry that you got pelted with (by) veggies just for following through on a theme! But we would not, in fact, like a second serving of beef.

True, the meat industry is a bigger problem than the transportation sector for global warming (which is impressive considering how much attention cars get for their role in the problem relative to eating choices), but that also provides an upside: while many people can’t realistically give up their cars or airplane trips all that much, almost every single American can voluntarily stop eating meat with perhaps even greater impact.

What’s more, the vast majority of those new vegetarians will be healthier and wealthier for it. Biggest downside? Taste. But that’s probably less important over the long term than global warming, right?

But of course, even for a Hummer-driving carnivore, helping induce systematic change, such as getting Congress to pass a strong global warming bill, will be a lot more help then giving up cars or meat.

But then again, once you’ve gone and done that, you’ll still have the option to help stop a bit more global warming pollution at the cost of a juicy steak.

Help save our Earth for humanity.

What should the president do next? Declare that hydrocarbon material feedstocks will no longer be perversly defined as energy resources in the US after a future target date (2030?), thereby sending a message to all businesses to get seriously moving toward sustainability and economic rejuvenation through zero net carbon contamination of the ecosphere. Reinstitute a national and urban rail transport system. What Joe says.

Progressive Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio is a vegan.

Bill Becker wrote: “Does anybody know why beef has become such an important factor in politics?”

Because the meat industry is wealthy and powerful and pays off politicians.

I recognize your “P.S.” was intended to be humorous, but the death-grip of the meat and industrial agriculture lobby on US farm and food policy is no more a laughing matter than the death-grip of the fossil fuel industry on energy policy.

According to a recent United Nations report, meat production is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the transport sector. Other studies have shown that switching from a standard, meat-based American diet to a vegan diet can reduce an individual’s GHG “footprint” as much as switching from a gas-guzzling SUV to a Prius — at far lower cost, and with numerous health benefits as well.

But this is rarely addressed by environmentalists when they talk about how to reduce global warming pollution, and is certainly not addressed in any of the plans now being formulated by the Obama administration or Congress.