Meat-Free Mondays
By Laurel Hopwood, NEOSC Agriculture Chair
Email: lhopwood@roadrunner.com
A 2010 United Nations report concluded that a shift toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat the worst effects of climate change. In light of mounting evidence that the raising of cows, pigs and chicken generates enormous amounts of greenhouse gases, we are calling for citizens to join our Meat-Free Monday Campaign. It’s simple. It calls for citizens to cut the meat, one day a week.
The recent contamination of drinking water for 500,000 people in Toledo, Ohio, raised a huge red flag. Manure run-off from factory raised animals and fertilizers used to grow feed-crops can cause algae-excreting deadly cyanobacteria. Rather than spend our hard-earned dollars to upgrade sewer systems, there is another way. People can take personal responsibility and choose what they put on their dinner plates.
Meat-Free Monday is a win-win. There’s a groundswell of evidence showing that nuts, beans, grains, seeds, and fruit and vegetables can be better for our health. Meat-Free Monday doesn’t dictate what to eat. Rather, it educates and empowers people to save the planet, one forkful at a time.
For more info, please visit our website at:
http://www.neosierragroup.org/meat-free-mondays/