Las Vegas Review-Journal

O.K. Do you like the idea of green living? Do you want to make a real contribution toward solving the climate change issue? Do you want to do something meaningful right now, without waiting another day? I'm going to tell you how.

You won't have to buy a fuel-efficient car, a green-built house, solar panels or Energy Star appliances, although these are all good things to do if they fit your budget. The problem is that many of us want to help solve the problem now and without going into debt. Well this is the solution for you. In fact, you will save money. Starting today and for the rest of your life, your entire family can benefit and it will not cost you a dime.

Are you ready? Good. Keep an open mind and read on.

Here's all you have to do, just back off the meat. I'm not saying we all have to go vegan, but by cutting down on the amount of meat, poultry, eggs and fish we eat, we can make a very substantial contribution to reducing greenhouse gases.

According to a recently completed report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, livestock production causes more greenhouse gas emissions (measured in CO2 equivalent) than the entire transportation sector combined. Eighteen percent of greenhouse gases are being generated by our energy-intensive, meat-based diets.

The report, "Livestock's Long Shadow," is an eye-opener. Here are a few key points:

* The livestock sector is one of the top contributors to the most serious environmental problems at every scale from local to global. This includes land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.

* The environmental problems associated with a meat-based diet are massive and the impact is so significant that it needs to be addressed with urgency.

* Seventy percent of previously forested land in the Amazon is occupied by pastures, and feed crops cover a large part of the remainder.

Now, before you start railing on the U.N. between bites of that burger, keep in mind that other institutions have come to similar conclusions, including the University of Chicago.

"We neither make a value judgment nor do we make a categorical statement," said University of Chicago's Gidon Eshel, an assistant professor in geophysical sciences. "We say that however close you can be to a vegan diet ... the better you are for the planet. It doesn't have to be all the way to the extreme end of vegan. If you simply cut down from two burgers a week to one, you've already made a substantial difference."

Southern Nevadans also can appreciate the value of water. The U.N. report reveals that livestock accounts for "over 8 percent of global human water use" and is probably the largest source of water pollution, affecting not only lakes and rivers, but sensitive coastal ecosystems like coral reefs. It can take thousands of gallons of water to produce a pound of edible meat. This is not an efficient system.

Everyone has an opinion about what foods are best. No matter what type of food you like, it is possible to enjoy a wide range of meat-free meals. Italian, Thai, Chinese, Indian, American, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Ethiopian -- are all cultures that are rich in foods that can be healthy, satisfying and vegetarian. It just takes a bit of awareness and a desire to shift. The next thing you know, you have lightened your impact on our biosphere to the benefit of all.

You can find links to the reports mentioned above, along with some other very good information on this topic, on my Web site. I invite you to explore further. Once you get a taste for green living, it's hard to go back.

Steve Rypka is a green living consultant and president of GreenDream Enterprises, specializing in renewable energy, green building, alternative transportation and lifestyle choices for both residential and commercial clients. The company is committed to helping people live lighter on the planet. Steve can be reached via email at steve@greendream.biz or at >www.greendream.bi