Mark Bittman is a well-known American cookbook author and food writer.

In the video, he gives an incredible and informative lecture on food consumption relating to human health and our environment.

He points out that:

• 1/5th of the green house gases emitted in the United States are generated by livestock production–more than transportation.
• Diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some types of cancer are much more prevalent in the United States than in any other part of the world, and there is a direct correlation between this prevalence and our western diet.

This documentary is eye opening, to say the least.  Unfortunately, as of yet, I’ve been unable to get anyone to watch it with me.

It is disturbing.  But we need to know the truth about where our food comes from.  This movie not only details our dependence on animals for food, but also for pets, clothing, entertainment, and science.

According to the website:

Narrated by Academy Award Nominee Joaquin Phoenix and featuring music by the critically acclaimed platinum artist Moby, EARTHLINGS is a documentary film about humankind’s complete economic dependence on animals raised for pets, food, clothing, entertainment and scientific research. Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, EARTHLINGS chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit. Powerful, informative, controversial and thought-provoking, EARTHLINGS is by far the most comprehensive documentary ever produced on the correlation between nature, animals and human economic interests.

You can watch the whole documentary on google at:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1282796533661048967

I bought the DVD.  It is one of most important documentaries I’ve ever seen.  You can check out some trailers and director featurettes at:

http://www.isawearthlings.com/trailer.html

http://www.isawearthlings.com/featurette.html