SCRANTON, Pa. -- Some people believe a key to sustainability is in your diet.
"It makes a bigger impact on the environment in a positive way to be a vegan driving a Hummer than to be a meat eater driving a Prius," said Christian Pilosi, owner of "eden - a vegan café."
That's not just coming from the owner of a downtown Scranton vegan cafe. A recent report published in the journal "Science" concluded that livestock production is the single largest contributor of emissions around the globe.
"One hog farm in North Carolina produces the same amount of waste as the entire city of Los Angeles," Pilosi claimed.
Going vegan was once thought of as simply an ethical choice but that has changed in recent years.
"More than half of our customer base aren't vegan or vegetarian. They're just looking to add some plant-based meals to their life because they do see the impact it has on the environment," Pilosi said.
Going vegan doesn't mean that you're just limited to salads. Many of the comfort foods that you're used to are still available in a plant-based form.
"To get people to change, you need to replicate what they're used to. That's what we're all about here at eden. We do all the comfort foods."
Pilosi tells us to use fresh eyes the next time you head to the grocery store and see all the vegan options available.
"There's sausages, there's chicken, so things you already know you like. Just give it a try with the plant-based products and I'm telling you, you will be pleasantly surprised."
If you want to try the comfort food vegan creations from "eden - a vegan cafe," you can find them on Adams Avenue in downtown Scranton. They're open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.