Kathryn Rosenthal wrote:
> A vegetarian from another list (obviously) sent this to me.
> 
> This week, NASA climatologists said that new data suggests 
>that the Arctic Ocean may have no more ice by 2012. ...
>the presence of the Arctic sea ice reflects about 80% of
>the sun's heat, stabilizing the temperature of the ocean.

Except for one thing -- losing the ice does not necessarily mean losing
the reflectivity.  In fact, studies have already been done on this very
thing.  The melting ice results in increased cloud cover, which
essentially cancels out any loss in reflectivity.  See this page for
discussion:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/ArcticReflector/arctic_reflector4.html


> In a groundbreaking 2006 report, the United Nations (U.N.) said that
> raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the
>cars and trucks in the world combined .

Notice that it says *raising* animals generates the greenhouse gasses.
As Lynnet already pointed out, it's the commercial feedlots and "factory
farms" that are the root of the problem.  Mankind has been raising and
eating animals for thousands of years, but global warming is a very
recent phenomena.

> The most powerful step that we can take as individuals to avert global
> warming is to stop eating meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Nonsense.  The most powerful step we can take is to avoid using the
industrial machinery of society when possible.  There are lots of ways
to do that.  When it comes to food, locally raised meats, locally grown
veggies, organic and natural farming methods are all great places to start.

--
  Robert Kesterson
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