I just read an interesting fact. Livestock accounts for 18% of the world’s carbon emissions. I have cut  back on eating red meat for my health. I have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. It only makes sense to eat more fruits and vegetables in order to prevent a heart attack or stroke.  So selfishly I have made changes to my diet.

Now in my reading about eco friendly issues I am finding that eating right is better for the environment. When all the effort to keep livestock as a food source is taken into account the environmental cost is extremely high. Just think about the clearing of the land for grazing, cultivating the feed and animal waste the e-costs are high.

So now when I’m eating my salad for lunch instead of the cheeseburger (one of my favorite foods) I will consider the positive enviromental impact. So now I can leave smaller carbon footprint.

Being interested in environmental issues can lead you to some pretty interesting places on the internet. Well one article I read today floored me. It stated that the heavier you are the more the you personally contribute to global warming. As a person that struggles with his weight I have heard lots of reasons that I should lose the extra pounds. These include heart attacks, stroke, cancer, joint pain, self esteem and many others. I get these comments from family, friends, acquaintances and it is all over the mainstream media.

Now I find out that I am not only a  burden to the scale but my extra large frame bears down heavily on the environment. Moving me from place to place takes extra fuel and therefore produces more carbon emissions. Obese people eat more than those who are not. Think of the environmental costs of feeding us. We already pay more for the large size fast food meals. More food is grown, processed and shipped in order to appease our large appetites. Now I’m feeling extra guilty for eating that double cheeseburger yesterday.

So in the end the larger you are the more you contribute to our environmental issues. So if you are heavy like me not only do you leave a deeper footprint in the sand on the beach you leave a larger carbon foot print on the planet.  So I better cut this one  short and go take a walk for my health and the health of the planet.