Time to eat the dog to reduce carbon footprint

Letter to the Editor # 18; "Gladstone Observer" 26th October, 2009;
158 words; by Allan Taylor of Adelaide

On the Internet recently was posted a review of the book "Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living" by Robert and Brenda Vale, who are New Zealand based Green academics. They say that keeping a medium-sized dog has the same ecological impact as driving 10,000 kms a year in a 4.6 litre Land Cruiser.

They recommend down-sizing one’s pet in order to reduce one’s carbon footprint thus helping to lower greenhouse emissions and so save the world from disastrous global warming. Two goldfish are considered to be more environmentally friendly pets than dogs. The authors don’t actually say to eat your dog and no recipes are given.

An ongoing poll in Queensland of dogs and their loving owners, when presented with this valuable Government financed research information, indicates zero acceptance of the Green-inspired idea of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and 100% support for the dog-friendly National and Liberal National Parties who are against Labor’s ETS legislation.