Free Republic

EVER since “An Inconvenient Truth,” Al Gore has been the darling of environmentalists, but that movie hardly endeared him to the animal rights folks. According to them, the most inconvenient truth of all is that raising animals for meat contributes more to global warming than all the sport utility vehicles combined. The biggest animal rights groups do not always overlap in their missions, but now they have coalesced around a message that eating meat is worse for the environment than driving. They and smaller groups have started advertising campaigns that try to equate vegetarianism with curbing greenhouse gases. Some backlash...

An environmental protester hugs a British police officer Saturday near London's Heathrow Airport. Organizers hope to attract as many as 1,500 people today to protest a proposed third runway at the airport and greenhouse gases released by air travel. LONDON — For the hundreds of climate-change activists who have camped out near Heathrow Airport for the past week, there is only one way to reduce the carbon footprint of aircraft: Stop flying so much. "Aviation is a luxury we can live without," said a protester named Merrick. Booming air travel, he said, is multiplying greenhouse gases just as the climate-change...

A tax on chewing gum is needed to help meet the £150m annual cost of cleaning it off streets, council representatives from across the UK are expected to say. A first national "gum summit" in London will call for a penny-a-packet tax. The Liberal Democrats have also called for anti-litter messages on packs, and the development of biodegradable gum. Gum maker Wrigley's says £5m research on that has been unsuccessful. Cardiff, Westminster, Edinburgh and Belfast representatives are due at the summit. Lib Dem London Assembly member and environment spokesman Mike Tuffrey said: "Chewing gum that is irresponsibly spat on to...