going green? give up your dog, not your car

In their book "Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living," New Zealanders Robert and Brenda Vale claim keeping a medium-sized dog has the same ecological impact as driving 10,000 km a year in a 4.6 liter Land Cruiser.

The Vales estimated the ecological footprint of cats and dogs based on the amount of land needed to grow common brands of pet food.

Constructing and driving the Land Cruiser for a year requires 0.41 hectares of land, while growing and manufacturing a dog's food takes about 0.84 ha -- or 1.1 ha in the case of a large dog such as a German shepherd.

On top of that, meat-eating swells the eco-footprint of canines, and felines are not that much better, according to the Vales.

The average cat's eco-footprint - 0.15 ha - weighs in slightly less than a Volkswagen Golf, but is still 10 times a hamster's 0.014 ha -- which is itself half the eco cost of running a plasma television.

Brenda Vale says the title of the book is meant to shock, but the couple - who do not have a cat or dog - believe the reintroduction of non-carnivorous pets into urban areas would help slow down global warming.

"The title of the book is a little bit of a shock tactic, I think, but though we are not advocating eating anyone's pet cat or dog there is certainly some truth in the fact that if we have edible pets like chickens for their eggs and meat, and rabbits and pigs, we will be compensating for the impact of other things on our environment."

Over 200 comments have been posted on stuff.co.nz - worth reading, if just for entertainment value. (Our favourite: "I wouldn't eat dog. Dogs have got personality. Personality goes a long way.")