Authors Claim Pets Are More Damaging to Environment Than SUVs (toy, skin)

[Pretzelogik]

Pet Dogs More Damaging to the Environment Than SUVs - ABC News Oh dear what now my Fido?

[UNC4Me]

Originally Posted by Pretzelogik

Pet Dogs More Damaging to the Environment Than SUVs - ABC News Oh dear what now my Fido?

I feel the same way about my dog that some gun owners feel about their guns. They can have my dog when they pry him from my cold dead fingers. Don't mess with Fido.... Or his momma!

[subject2change]

"Any claims on the Earth's resources, whether it's having pets or having children, we need to think about. It doesn't necessarily mean getting rid of your pet now. But when the pet dies, as they eventually do, you might want to think about whether you replace it or not," he said.

I care deeply about the Earth, but I'm not going to stop having pets. Period. I could give up just about anything wlse if I had to,but not that.
And I get my dogs and cats from the shelter, or as strays or throwaways, so they're there whether I take them in or not. And somebody needs to take care of them so it might as well be me.
Where's the snoring emoticon?

[glamatomic]

I'm a vegetarian... so... that cancels out any carbon footprint my omnivorous cat makes... right?

[Sam I Am]

Oh for heaven's sake!

I did a quick look on Amazon - this book is more about sustainable living, but of course there is the part about pets. I was just thrilled to learn the scientists are actually in NZ and this is a UK published book - I'd hate to think these were scientists in the U.S. determining this with federal funds under some sort of a grant (although I'm sure that's being done too - I just don't want to know about it, thanks so much!).

The last line of the article - some guy says we just shouldn't replace our animals as they get old and die....wonder what we're supposed to do with all the shelter animals? And the new puppies that are born every day because someone forgot to spay/neuter?

What a crazy bunch of _____. Crap.

[Giesela]

I think the guys that did this study and wrote the book shouldn't have any kids since Human Overpopulation is the biggest threat to the planet

[Driller1]

In all honesty.......Bear and Angel never turn off the lights when they leave a room........

[cittic10]

This is old news (nearly 3 years old) but never the less, it's totally plausible.
Any way you slice it, there's an environmental impact.
But there's more ways than ever to minimize the impact through sustainably produced food and other practices such as not buying a new made-in-china chew toy for 3 and a half minutes of destruction, not clearing trees to have a large lawn area when dogs can enjoy the yard just as much in the shade, dealing with the waste stream differently and not using pesticides unnecessarily.

People have stopped reading after that quote about "when your dog dies..." which is a little rough around the edges. I think we can all take something home from the quote; "But it is useful to think about the environmental demands that pets make in the same way that people do." Each and every one of us could be asking ourselves is there a better way to do this, this or this, just as we do with our own personal habits. Would any of use be talking about this if it wasn't for such a sensational headline? Offff course not.

Originally Posted by subject2change

Where's the snoring emoticon?

or perhaps...

[Lost_In_Translation]

Pets consume so few resources in comparison to an average human that the author has made a non-point.

[cittic10]

Originally Posted by Lost_In_Translation

Pets consume so few resources in comparison to an average human that the author has made a non-point.

Well the author didn't compare pets to humans.
The author compared pets to SUVs.