Are you a tree hugger? Are you a pet owner? If you answered yes to both of these questions, you obviously fit in here in Portland. But have you ever thought how these two things could be related? Have you ever wondered about your pet’s carbon paw print? It is most likely bigger than you think. You should probably do something about that.
A new book by New Zealand authors Robert and Brenda Vale, entitled Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living, is causing controversy in dog-friendly cities like Portland. These two architects, who study sustainable living, claim in their book that the pup’s carbon footprint over his lifetime is roughly twice that of building and fueling an SUV. According to the pair, cats didn’t fare too much better: Their carbon footprint was equal to a small hatchback.
The study is full of European measurements of hectograms and kilograms and is kind of messy and complicated, so I won’t quote it here. It is also a bit skewed. For example, the Vales said owning a dog had twice the carbon footprint of owning an SUV, but the distance driven by an SUV owner they used to determine this was only 6,000 miles per year. I would argue that most everyone drives much more than that. In that case, the two impacts are more equal.
Regardless of this study and its truths and untruths, pets do have a rather large impact environmentally. What is the main reason Fluffy and Spot are having such an impact? The answer is their food.
“Owning a dog is quite an extravagance, mainly because of the carbon footprint of meat,” said John Barrett, of the Stockholm Environmental Institute in York, United Kingdom, in New Scientist Magazine. Barrett was asked by New Scientist to conduct his own calculation on carbon paw prints. He came up with very similar findings to the New Zealanders’.
I do think this is cause for some reevaluation. All of you “green” pet owners scoffing at big vehicle drivers—you know who you are—please do some readjusting before you resume your eco-smugness.
The most responsible thing to do is to take into consideration your pet’s carbon footprint, when thinking of your own impact. That means you have to step up your own environmental awareness and action to compensate for your pet. Almost everything we do makes either a positive or negative impact on the environment. Pet owners just need to be even more vigilant than those without pets in order to have the same impact.
We all know how to do this: Take the train, ride your bike, walk, buy local, turn off the lights, eat less meat and utilize reusable shopping bags, coffee mugs, etc.
Another helpful option is right here in Northeast Portland—Green Dog Pet Supply. They rightly do not advocate making your pet a vegetarian, as it is very risky to their health.
(Please do NOT do that!) According to their Web site, they sell pet foods and treats free from pesticides and chemicals and made locally, reducing carbon emissions from shipping. They also stock toys and other pet items made from recycled materials. They claim to have very durable toys, as to keep them out of the landfill longer. It seems to be a step in the right direction.
So, all of you tree-hugging pet owners out there, please step it up a notch to compensate for Mittens and especially Fido. I hate to think of you in the same category as that jerk driving a Hummer.