Time to Eat The Dog; The Real Guide to Sustainable Living by Robert and Brenda Vale points out some uncomfortable truths about carbon footprints and sustainable living. By far the most controversial of their observations is that a medium sized dog has a higher carbon footprint than a standard sport utility vehicle. This has prompted a huge backlash from humane societies worldwide and the blogosphere in general.
The rationale is arrived at through what the animals eat. The average dog consumes 361.5 pounds of meat every year, which takes a number of tonnes of carbon to produce. The New Scientist lists some more of the carbon comparisons from the book.
Many of the charges brought against domesticated animals by the book are fairly easy to combat. It does shine a light on the need for pet owners to consider organic and natural pet food rather than the mass-produced kibble, which undoubtedly takes an inordinate amount of carbon to produce.
For some recipes for homemade pet food, check out this site.
