Eating nothing but greenies doesn’t seem to be connected with going green – after all, how can one protect what one will be consuming?

But that line of thinking is actually out that animal agriculture is "one of flawed, if not completely erroneous. At the top two or three most significant least so says Jason Baker, director of contributors to the most serious the People for the Ethical Treatment of environmental problems, at every scale Animals (PETA) in Asia and the Pacific from local to global," so that animal (APAC), who cites “two excellent books agriculture "should be a major policy by John Robbins — The Food Revolution focus when dealing with problems of and Diet for a New America — that very land degradation, climate change and clearly show the connection between air pollution, water shortage and water what we eat and how it impacts our pollution and loss of biodiversity." environment. More importantly, these This is why, with Baker, PETA is books made it clear that each of us can aggressively educating people about play a part in reversing the damage done the impact that meat consumption has to the environment by making more on the environment. “As with any responsible choices, including choosing change, getting in the habit of making a plant-based diet,” he says. Environmentally friendly choices can take some time. Until you're used to it, it's easy to forget to bring reusable shopping bags with you to the store, switch the lights off when you leave a room, or allow yourself time to walk, bike, or take public transportation to your destination. With a little practice, though, these things soon become second nature,” he says.

Thus, “PETA's campaigns have always focused on showing people easy ways that they can help animals and the Earth in their everyday lives. We empower people by helping them realize that they really are capable of changing the world all by themselves.

I think that we can achieve the same effect by getting people to realize that the food choices that they make three times per day, 365 days per year have a powerful impact on the environment,” Baker adds.

Baker admits that there are challenges when making lifestyle changes, such as in the difficulty of persuading people about how eating meat hurts animals and the Earth. But he remains optimistic PETA, among others, will get the message across.

“I think people have come to realize that we really don't have a choice: We have to make serious lifestyle changes in order to save the planet — and ourselves. The fact that an increasing number of people are taking action, big and small, is a sign that going green is not just a phase,” he says.

This is boosted by the fact that “I've found that living a lifestyle that's better for the environment is easier on my wallet, too. Instead of buying new things, I reuse things or buy used items a lot more often, which saves money. Walking or riding a bike to get from place to place instead of hopping in the car saves on expensive fuel. Also, vegetarian foods, which are better for the environment, tend to cost a lot less than meat, cheese, and other animal products. Staples like rice and dried beans provide a lot of protein and other nutrients at a fraction of the cost of meat.” Baker is still waiting for the time when governments, not non-government organizations, play a more active role in educating the youth “about how their actions affect the environment;” and for the private businesses to “help go green to make a huge impact.” But more importantly, however, he sees “going vegetarian as an easy way that every single person can take a big step toward going green.”

“Although we are already experiencing the effects of global warming, there is something that we can all do: Go green. And the way to go green is to go vegetarian. If everyone went vegetarian, imagine the huge impact (e.g., increased water conservation, fewer greenhousegas emissions, less suffering) it would have on the environment and animals,”

Baker says. “Creating a sustainable environment and a world in which all living beings are respected takes everyone's help.”

For more information, visit  PETAAsiapacific.com.