Ed Begley on the Environment and Why He's a Vegetarian

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For environmentalist Ed Begley, the reasons for being a vegetarian are simple and clear. In an Earth Day interview with Living Green Magazine, the actor and devoted eco-advocate talked about a whole variety of things, from his thoughts on vegetarianism to species preservation to his hope that it’s not too late to reverse climate change.

When it comes to why Begley ditched meat, he said, “It simply takes more land, more water and more energy to grow a pound of beef than it does a pound of broccoli or grain.” That certainly is true. Raising animals, feeding them the plants that we could consume, and cutting down forests in order to graze cattle makes animal agriculture an unsustainable way to feed an ever growing planet.

But it’s not just the environmental impact that inspires him to stay meat-free. He goes on to say, “Nowadays cattle and hogs and chickens are kept in very confined conditions too, so it’s not something I want for the animals or for myself.”

Begley sure knows a thing or two about standing up for what he believes in. He’s been living a green lifestyle since the 70’s.

One of our favorite answers from his interview, although the whole thing is worth reading, is which endangered species he would be if he could choose. He says, “I would be the snow leopard, and I’d find a very safe place and hide…(laughter)..so that I could hopefully propagate well enough to have some substantial numbers again.”