Is being a vegetarian better for the environment than buying a hybrid?

Question

I heard someone claim this today on the radio. Any insight?

Answer 1

do both. why is it always look at japan. they use bikes and eat fish and rice. its not that simple, but they tend to live healthier lifestyles as opposed to us driving in an suv to eat at mcdonalds. god what a waste. using all that gas to eat at some crappy fats food place.

Answer 2

I think that being a vegetarian would be better for the environment then buying a hybrid. Hybrid cars are often used as peoples defense for saving the environment but the actually have lower fuel efficiency that a regular vehichle. So when they are using fossil fuel as power the emit more pollution. Overall they don't but it's still something to think about.

Also people rarely mention what happens to hybrid vehicles. They have huge batteries full of potentiall harmful pollutants. The batteries only last about 10 years. No one seems to know what happens after that. I guess they will end up in a land fill leaking acid, lead and other pollutants int the soil, contaminating soil water.

On the flip side, many vegetables and legumes are grown using toxic pesticides and environment altering fertilizers. I thouroughly support farmers but there are alternatives to using so many chemical including using "natural" fertilizer or dung. So eating meat occasionally supports environmentally-friendly vegetarianism!

Answer 3

It's not really a valid comparison. The simple answer is: do BOTH at the same time (or better yet, don't drive at all)

The biggest advantage of vegetarianism for the environment is that it requires less land. Less people eating meat means less pastureland (or less grain production for some types of meat), which means less habitat is destroyed (like the Brazil's Amazonian rainforest).

The biggest advantage of driving a hybrid for the environment is lower CO2 emissions, and reduced global warming.

There's some overlap, I suppose. For example, meat production, especially growing grain to feed animals for meat causes more CO2 and methane emissions than vegetable production. But in general, if you care about habitat destruction, be a vegetarian. If you care about global warming, drive a hybrid. If you care about BOTH, do BOTH.

Answer 4

Yes, but... (see below). The reason that this is true is mostly land use. It takes a lot of land to grow plants enough to feed meat animals.

But, how to help the environment is different for different people.

Some would find life better to be a vegetarian and drive a regular car that is suitable for their needs. Particularly if they don't have enough money for a hybrid.

Others would find it better to get a hybrid, maybe arrange their life to drive less, and eat meat.

We don't have to do things we hate in order to protect the environment. There are a lot of ways to help out, we can pick the ones that work for us.

Answer 5

Only if you are a vegetarian who walks everywhere! Otherwise, owning a hybrid is better. Consider the fact that most of the harmful waste comes from industrial companies (ie: makers of vinyl siding, chemical companies, car companies, concrete makers). Now, imagine if all the people who owned and worked in these facilities were vegetarian? Do you really think that we'd be better off environmentally?

Answer 6

I don't think so... even though I am a vegetarian with a hybrid, but i think that overall the hybrid is better for the air, although i suppose not eating meat is better for the rainforests... good question...

Answer 7

I think that would be a very complicated thing to prove. You'd have to be able to think of all the variables and repercussions to even begin to make a decision. I'm not sure anyone would have to choose, anyway. You could be a vegetarian and drive your hybrid only when it was impossible to bike, walk, or take public transportation.

Answer 8

It is best just to be a vegetarian who grows their own vegetable garden. Hybrids still use gas.

Answer 9

pesticides are used to control insects, eat more meat, they don't need pesticides to grow, just joking, but really depends if you are eating "clean" veggies or not, but I think a hybrid would have a bigger impact

Answer 10

No. It's a lie just like global warming. Don't fall for it.