Make Each Monday, 'Meat Free Monday'

On Tuesday, September 23, 2014, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon held a Climate Summit in New York. Part of that discussion focused on how to reduce harmful emissions to our atmosphere. One way to make that reduction is to eat fewer amount of meat, many are saying.

“What? Eat less meat will be better for the environment? Hogwash! Preposterous!” one might protest.

Many say that it’s true. If more people ate less meat, then there would be far fewer pollutants in the air. Eating less red meat means that there would be lower demand for cows. Fewer cows on the planet equals lower methane emissions according to the group Nature Climate Change.

Still sounds a bit ‘out there?’ The Nature Climate Change findings also say that greenhouse gas emissions from raising livestock are 19 to 48 times higher than growing plant food like soy and beans.

Climate change experts say that if more consumers would reduce their meat intake to just one day a week, that reduction alone be make a positive impact on global climate. This idea is the catalyst for a movement called Meat Free Monday. According to the Meat Free Monday website, “Skipping meat for one day a week can reduce your annual carbon footprint by as much as not driving your car for a whole month.” The site goes on to say, “An area of Amazon rainforest the size of a hundred football pitches is cut down every hour to create room for grazing cattle.”

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the idea of climate change, the numbers/findings reported here, or even just knowing that another conference on climate change is going to take place, many can agree that making Mondays meat-free is good for your health. Indeed sometimes it can feel like a drag to get your fill of veggies, but dedicating one day a week to a meat-free meal is advantageous.

On its website, Meat Free Monday invites visitors to make the pledge to meat-reduction.

For more information about Meat Free Monday, visit:

http://www.meatfreemondays.com/