What we choose to eat is one of the most significant factors in the personal impact we have on the environment and the fastest path to climate change. A recent study, examining the impact of a typical week's eating, showed that plant-based diets are better for the environment than those based on meat. A vegan, organic diet had the smallest environmental impact. The single most damaging foodstuff was beef and all non-vegetarian diets, which require significantly greater amounts of environmental resources such as land and water.

It is noteworthy that the United Nations and many leading environmental organizations-including the National Audubon Society, the WorldWatch Institute, the Sierra Club, and the Union of Concerned Scientists-have recognized that raising animals for food damages the environment more than just about anything else that we do. Whether it's unchecked air or water pollution, soil erosion, or the overuse of resources, raising animals for food is wreaking havoc on the Earth.

By going vegetarian an individual can help to...