I love cheeseburgers. Hodad’s, Rocky’s, Five Guys … they’re all my favorites.  But for next week, I’ve decided to drop the burgers and go vegetarian during San Diego Veg Week. I invite you to join me and several other staff members here at San Diego Coastkeeper as we go meatless from September 25-October 2.

Here are 5 ways that eating vegetarian can help protect the environment:

1. It takes 12,009 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef.  That means you can  save more water by forgoing one pound of beef, or four hamburgers, than by not showering for a year.
2. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or “CAFOs” are a major source of water pollution around the country.  Animal waste and feed cropland dump more pollutants into our waterways than all other human activities combined.
3. Meat production is a major contributor to the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico—7,000 square miles where dissolved oxygen in the water is too low to support marine life.
4. Cow farts are a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.By passing on the burger, you can reduce your contribution to global climate change.
5. Nearly half the water consumed in this country and 70 percent of the grain grown is used for livestock, mostly cattle.