Campfire World HQ includes two dogs, Buffy (the Vampire Slayer) and Barto. We love ’em. As wannabe earth healers, we wondered about the environmental impacts of pets. Now the University of Edinburgh has released a study detailing how feeding the world’s pets requires a space about twice the size of the UK — and that’s just for dry pet food available in the US and Europe, which accounts for two-thirds of global sales.

The study says increased pet ownership around the world contributes to a rising demand for pet food, and that greenhouse gas emissions from pet food manufacturing reach 106 million tons of carbon dioxide. If it were a country, the pet food industry would be the world’s 60th highest emitter.

We would hate to stop adopting companions. But even more, we want to take actions that help earth survive the human onslaught. Pet food’s impact on the environment is not the fault of our domesticated canines and felines. It’s our fault for allowing the proliferation of puppy and kitten mills. A key first step for us all would be to adopt homeless domesticated animals rather than visiting breeders.

Finding sustainable pet food counts as another meaningful effort. We will research it for you, and report back soon.