The Environmental Defense Fund, in partnership with Restaurant Associates, (operators of Atlanta's World Trade Center Club and Table 1280 at Woodruff Arts Center) has developed a code of Green Dining Best Practice guidelines as a tool to help restaurants go green. The guidelines address twelve areas in which restaurants can make improvements that will have a significant impact on the environmental health of the planet and its occupants (children and other living things).

As we've mentioned a time or two, raising, feeding, killing and transporting animals that are used for food takes an enormous toll on the environment. The EDF/RA's best practices for animal production include an overall reduction in the industry accomplished by reducing meat portions and eating low on the food chain, which includes increasing vegetarian options. The code also has a recommendation that restaurants stop buying that antibiotic-infused beef that is the current industry standard. If the code is widely adopted, this section alone could lead to the demise of the factory farming model, which is all about keeping animals in conditions that are so squalid they have to be medicated to stay alive.

Produce, as you know, should be organic and seasonal. No more radiation for you!

Seafood? Again, ya heard it here first. EDF offers another handy giveaway (your choice of pocket guide or mobile phone version) for checking which fish are okay to eat and which ones you need to just let swim on by.

If you want to hear more details, here's the EDF's press release. Even better, forward it on to your favorite restaurants and let 'em know you want them to do right by us earthlings, and save themselves some money along the way.