This weekend, D.C. residents were lucky enough to have the chance to catch PETA's hardworking campaigners showering for a cause—not once, but twice!

On Friday, two PETA ladies decided to clean their consciences on the corner of Seventh Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Our squeaky-clean lasses wanted to let people know that the amount of water that it takes to produce 1 pound of meat could provide an individual with six months of showers.

Click here to see the complete gallery of photos from Friday's event.

Then, at the Washington Convention Center on Saturday, our message got masculine (and mustachioed).

Our showering fella was at the annual Green Festival, where he let people know that meat's not green and that the easiest way to have a positive impact on the environment is to wash your hands of the stuff.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

The following is a guest post from peta2's Marta.

Can a group of 11- to 14-year-olds from San Diego get people to eat less meat? The Sandy LEGO Beachbots can! The Beachbots build LEGO robots for competitions (where they sometimes give out vegan pizza), and they've also launched an initiative called Kids Keep the Earth Cool to persuade people to eat less meat by showing them the connection between animal agriculture and climate change.

We're really impressed with what they're doing and had to learn more. Check out what Brennan (one of the Beachbots) had to say:

How did the Sandy LEGO Beachbots come about, and what do you guys do?
We do First LEGO League, which is an international LEGO robotics competition. FLL involves building and programming a LEGO robot to do certain missions. These missions are based around a certain theme, and the teams competing also have to do a project on this theme and present a presentation to the judges. We have been doing this for six years now, with various team members.

Tell us about your robot design and how you incorporate veganism.
Our robot design itself isn't really related to vegetarianism—that is our solution to this year's project! The theme this year is climate change. Some of our team members (including me) were already vegetarians, so we decided to do our project on how vegetarianism relates to global warming.

How long have you been vegetarian? Do you have a favorite vegetarian recipe?
My sisters and I have been vegetarians since birth—our mom, the coach, is also a vegetarian. A favorite recipe? I don't know—there are tons of great recipes out there. One of my favorites is the vegetarian lasagne my mom makes.

Do you have a recommendation for people who are not quite ready to make the full transition to vegetarianism yet?
If you aren't ready to completely give up meat, reducing your meat consumption still has a huge effect! If you reduce your meat consumption by only six meatless days a month, it has the same affect as switching from a sedan to a hybrid vehicle.

Are there any other animal rights issues that are important to you?
I personally am opposed to the use of animals … in any way [that] harms them. There are much better ways to do things that do not involve hurting or killing the other inhabitants of this Earth!

Isn't Brennan awesome? Check out the Web site that he and the other Sandy LEGO Beachbots made—www.kidskeeptheearthcool.org.

We love what the Beachbots are doing so much that we're giving them a Compassionate Kids Award. As the Beachbots say, "Eating a bean burrito instead of meat helps save the world!"

Posted by Marta Holmberg

This week, we approached the city of Ashland, Ohio, with a little business proposition after we learned of the city's efforts to find a more cost-effective way to run its curbside recycling program.

We sent the director of city services a letter offering to offset the program's costs by paying to place our Lettuce Ladies' "Vegetarians Do It to Save the Planet" ad on the city's recycling trucks:

With all the bottle-sorting going on in Ashland, its citizens might be interested to learn that they can cause far more damage to the Earth with the foods they eat than they can by chucking some bottles onto a garbage heap. In fact, the production of 1 pound of meat generates the same amount of greenhouse-gas emissions as does driving an SUV 40 miles. Of course, we're not suggesting that anyone stop sorting those bottles, but why not also try a meat-free diet that won't hurt animals or the environment?

Posted by Jennifer Cierlitsky

The whole world is coming out of hibernation for spring. What better time to get outdoors and get active for animals? There are all sorts of demos happening. Check 'em out!

This was a particularly moving demo in Calgary to fight the Canadian seal slaughter.

This demonstration took place outside the Canadian Consulate in Seattle.

These ladies are letting the world know that McDonald's scalds chicks to death!

Ladies taking showers to demonstrate meat's effects on the environment always get attention—and just in time for "Meat's Not Green" Week!

Did you know that the amount of water required to produce one pound of meat is the same as the amount used in six months of showers?

Check out what PETA Germany's doing. This pile of bodies doesn't even come close to the number of animals who are murdered for their flesh every day.

Can't get enough photos of demos? Well, stay tuned, because we're only too happy to share! In the meantime, why don't you upload a few photos of your own?

Posted by Lianne Turner

Mayor Michael O'Brien of Warren, Ohio, is currently thinking about allowing us to fix his city's potholes, but he wants to run it by KFC before making a final decision. Hmm, is he trying to start a bidding war?

As a nonprofit, we might not be able compete with dollars against a money-hungry company that can't even spare a few cents out of each bucket of chicken bits that it sells to improve conditions for the very animals it profits from. That's why we've offered to "sweeten the pot," so to speak, with a free vegetarian meal for the road crew—on any day that Mayor O'Brien chooses.

If he agrees to this, the mayor won't just be doing right by 1 billion chickens; he'll show that he's invested in the health of his city's employees and the well-being of his city's environment. I can't think of a better ending to "Meat's Not Green" Week than that.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

As a huge fan of Bones, I was giddy to learn that Emily Deschanel is an environmentalist who puts her money where her mouth is—literally—by eating a vegan diet.

We couldn't think of a better person to feature smack-dab in the middle of "Meat's Not Green" Week than Emily and, luckily, she was able to take time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.

Here Emily is in her own words:

Do you have any animal companions? I don't have any animal companions right now. My amazing dog Snookie passed away a year ago. She was 17 years old. I miss her. She was super sweet and smart. I'm not ready for another animal in my life right now, especially because I wouldn't have the time to take proper care of them (we work 16- to 17-hour days). I look forward to the day I can bring another animal into my home. They enrich our lives so much! Of course, I would adopt!

What made you decide to go vegan? In high school, a teacher screened the documentary "Diet for a New America" based on the book of the same name. It exposes the dirty business of factory farms: the cruelty that the animals experience, the dangers of a meat-based diet to your health, and the devastating environmental impact. I decided to go vegetarian on the spot with the intention to go completely vegan when I was ready. It took me two years. I've never looked back.

What are some of your favorite vegetarian foods? I love anything Dave Anderson makes at Madeleine Bistro in Los Angeles, and I love the food at Candle 79 in New York City. I'm obsessed with cookies from Sun Flour Bakery.

I don't really cook for myself right now since my schedule is insane. I look forward to the day I can pick up my Veganomicon cookbook and go to town!! I also indulge in raw chocolate on a daily basis.

If you could make people wake up to one issue involving animals or one particular form of cruelty to animals, what would it be and what would you wish for? In my experience, the issue that is avoided the most is [raising] animals for food, specifically factory farms. Nothing makes me more upset than when someone says they don't want to know about the horrors going on. Ten billion animals every year in North America have to live and die in horrible ways; the least we can do is hear about it. I have hope, though. More and more people are going veg and vegan. Look at the popularity of Skinny Bitch and PETA as an organization and how they have changed people's minds about animals and food. It is so much better than it was almost 16 years ago when I made the switch to being vegan.

Looking for a little more Deschanel? Check out her vegetarian testimonial and then click here to learn more about meat's impact on the environment.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

It seems like anywhere Mike Ness goes, he leaves his mark. As the frontman for Social Distortion, he's one of the most influential men in punk rock. As a solo artist, he's blazing a trail on the alterna-country scene. However, while Mike has made a huge impact on the music world, his impact on good ol' Mother Earth is smaller than most people's. That's because Mike knows that meat's not green and that by keeping animals off his plate he's doing the single most effective thing anyone can do to reduce his or her carbon footprint.

Mike Ness is the most recent celebrity to sit down with PETA for a "Meat's Not Green" photo shoot, and he even took the time to answer a few questions about why he's doing his part to make the world a better place. Check out his video below and then head over and check out the ad.

Posted by Shawna Flavell

subwaynorcal / CC

We're the last ones who want to hide slaughterhouses where nobody will have to think about—or actually see and hear—the animals they're blithely eating, so we've written to Buffalo to say that PETA supports the creation of this slaughterhouse, with just a couple of modifications: Erect a glass wall to allow the public to see the terrified animals who are being slaughtered, install a sound system to broadcast the animals' screams, and open the facility to school and other tours with an elevated walkway running right through it.

I suspect that this could hurt business at a lot of restaurants in the Greater Buffalo area. But buck up, Subway man. What you lose in meatball and cheesesteak sub sales, you gain on the Veggie Delite sandwiches and perhaps by adding a Gardein "chicken" sub or other super-delish vegetarian alternatives!

Posted by Jeff Mackey

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on this Win It Wednesday. The winners of the PETA Grocery Tote are Mariah Lacey, Joel A., and Alyson Paige Warren. Congratulations!

"Win It" Wednesday is coming a day early this week!

One of my favorite things about spring is getting to walk around outside without a jacket. The sun is out, there's a gentle breeze, and the birds are chirping their hearts out. What better time to leave the car at home and stroll to the grocery store? You can save money on gas, conserve our limited resources, and enjoy the weather while getting a little exercise.

As long as we're talking groceries, did you know that the easiest and most effective thing you can do to help save the world is to go vegetarian? What's the second easiest thing? Stuffing all your yummy fruits and veggies into PETA's canvas grocery tote, of course! So, in honor of "Meat's Not Green" Week, we're giving you the chance to win one free!

How do you win? Just tell us what steps you're taking to show the world that meat's not green! Whether it's passing out leaflets, talking to friends, or petitioning your school for vegetarian options, every bit helps. The three most creative comments will win our stylish and eco-friendly PETA grocery tote.

The contest ends on May 6, 2009, and we'll choose three winners on May 8, 2009. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Check back every Wednesday for new prizes. Good luck!

Posted by Lianne Turner

healthcarehacks / CC

This week is "Meat's Not Green" Week, but it also happens to be World Week for Animals in Laboratories. So, if you are already doing a little spring cleaning, what better time to clear out any household items you have lying around that were tested on animals?

Check out these suggestions for replacing items that you might currently be using with cruelty-free products that you can pick up at your local drug and discount stores, such as Walgreens and Target:

For a more complete listing, check out our searchable database!

Posted by Mylie Thompson

For the next five days, we are going to present you with fun stuff: environmentally friendly blog posts that we hope will leave compassion as your only dietary option.

As you may have heard, raising animals for food is the number one cause of climate change and its frightening side effects. And that's not just meat production—the waste from which contaminates land, air, and waterways. Egg and dairy farms (which often rely on feeding animals to other farmed animals—bleh!) also contribute to the destruction of our ecosystem. With deforestation, desertification, and loss of potable water—and with 800 million people affected by famine—I'd say that a little restructuring is in order. And the most powerful tool we have is our very own fork.

Want to know how your diet is affecting the planet? It's as easy as punching your information into our carbon calculator. Then, if you've heard all you needed to hear—or if you just want to get a jump on things—click here and take the Pledge to Be Veg for 30 Days.

Posted by Missy Lane

stuffthathappens / CC

It turns out that spam has a heck of a carbon footprint. According to a recently released study producing the energy that was required to delete spam and search for actual e-mail that mistakenly ended up in junk e-mail folders during 2008 created greenhouse-gas emissions equivalent to 3.1 million passenger cars using 2 billion gallons of gas.

That's pretty staggering, but what about another type of SPAM—the processed meat product from Hormel? Fact: Producing eight ounces of pork is the greenhouse-gas equivalent of driving a standard car 2.52 miles. Let's assume that, after you take all the water, salt, and et cetera out of a 12-ounce can of SPAM, there are 10 or 11 ounces of actual pork. So, producing a can of SPAM is the equivalent of driving more than 3 miles. Deleting one piece of e-mail spam, on the other hand, is the equivalent of driving 3 feet.

So, yes, a can of SPAM has a carbon footprint that is more than 5,000 times larger than that of a piece of spam e-mail.

On a related note, according to Live Earth, going vegetarian is the "single most effective thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint"—certainly more effective than installing a spam filter, anyway.

Posted by Amanda Schinke

When public school systems fall on hard times, they know they can count on PETA to pitch in. Remember when we sent message toilet paper to a struggling Detroit school? So, of course, we jumped into action when we heard about a cash-strapped school in Idaho that's limiting how much writing paper teachers can use.

One of Pocatello High School's teachers has actually begun selling ad space on the writing paper he uses in his classroom—one pizza joint has already placed an ad. While we respect his initiative, we thought we could one-up him. So we've written to the school's principal, Don Cotant, offering to provide the whole school with an entire semester's worth of recycled writing paper printed with our snazzy Meat's Not Green logo on it.

We'll let you know if Pocatello High takes us up on the offer! It would definitely be a more eco-friendly way to ease the budget crunch than encouraging kids to spend $5 on a pus-laced pizza. Plus it would be one step in the right direction toward being listed as one of the most vegetarian-friendly school districts next year.

Posted by Shawna Flavell