Few of us are aware that the act of eating can be a powerful statement of commitment to our own well-being, that of the animals we share the planet with, and the planet itself. In Diet for A New America John Robbins brilliantly documents that our food choices can provide us with ways to enjoy life to the fullest, while making it possible that life itself may continue.

This hallmark book makes one hell of an argument for abstaining from all animal products. Very few can put it down without seriously considering adopting a vegan diet. Not vegan yet? Read it. Need to brush up on your facts for dinner table arguments? Read it.

I haven't read the book, but I can guess at the arguments. When you eat animal products, you waste a lot of energy in comparison to when you eat plant food. When vegetable calories are transformed into animal calories, a lot of those calories are expended in the form of respiration, waste, heat, etc. A small percentage of those calories are actually converted to meat. It makes for an interesting little ecology problem. you can make the same argument for eating cold-blooded animals versus eating warm-blooded animals since cold-blooded animals don't lose any energy to heat.

But the end result of being vegan has an overall positive effect on the environment. I support vegetarian diets, although I can't claim to have given up meat completely. Either way, reducing your meat-intake is one step toward helping make the world a better place.

I should read the book, I would love to be a vegetarian but lack the willpower. I love animals and feel like such a hypocrite everytime I eat a burger.