Meat Free Monday One day a week can make a world of difference

Independent thinker: Paul and Meat Free Monday on the march to Brussels

Paul McCartney’s forthcoming speech to the European Parliament later this week was the focus of an article in the Independent on Sunday.

Posted : 30 November 2009

The Meat Free Monday founder is interrupting his European tour to be in Brussels for a special hearing on Thursday 3 December, when he will be explaining to parliamentarians the myriad ways in which a reduced-meat diet can help the environment and people’s health. The message is a vital one in advance of important UN climate talks starting on 7 December, when it is hoped world leaders will agree binding targets on harmful emissions, including those caused by the livestock industry.

“The message that I am taking to the European Parliament is less meat equals less heat,” he said. “I will appeal to world leaders converging on Copenhagen for the climate-change talks to remember that sustainable food policy is an essential weapon in the fight against global warming. At the same time we should not forget our individual capacity to act in ways that will help – such as limiting our consumption of meat. This simple act can help slow global warming and help to feed the world.”

Paul’s involvement in Meat Free Monday is helping to focus public attention on the environmental costs of producing meat, the article said. It also mentioned the letter being sent out by MFM this week calling on London mayor Boris Johnson and the UK’s other elected mayors to promote meat-free days like those adopted by the Belgian city of Ghent, which goes meat-free every Thursday.

An editorial in the Indy also highlights the need for greater food self-sufficiency and the important changes we can make as individuals, as exemplified by the MFM project, saying: “Sir Paul McCartney’s campaign is quite a good place to go to next. It goes with the grain of greater concern for animal welfare: more expensive meat, less intensively farmed; less of it but better quality.”

Listen to Paul’s speech live on Thursday 3 December from 10am-12.30pm by clicking here

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