Jan 09 2009
The European Parliament Leads The Way: Reduce Meat Consumption to Stop Climate Change
I came across a very heartening news today that I can’t wait to share. Jens Holm, a vegetarian member of the European Parliament from Sweden posted on his site this singularly important news: Climate committee: reduce meat consumption. Let’s break out the non-alcoholic wines and beers and let’s celebrate! It’s awesome that a governmental body - the European Parliament’s Temporary Committee on Climate Change - had voted in a December 2008 meeting to address the number one cause of climate change: The raising of livestock for meat consumption. Check it out:
84a (new). Recognises that growing cereals and soya as feed for livestock is responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions; recalls the FAO report “Livestock’s Long Shadow” of November 2006, which states that the livestock industry is responsible for 18% of the world’s total GHG emissions; considers that a switch from intensive livestock production to extensive sustainable systems should be encouraged while total meat consumption also needs to be reduced in particular in industrialised countries;
That’s not all. The committee also approved of policy change to address the handling of the welfare for the animals:
85. Calls for feed rations in dairy and meat production to be reviewed, and where necessary improved, with the aim of achieving a reduction in methane formation in the rumen of ruminants; calls for any feeding and breeding measures in the livestock sector to be subject to an animal health and welfare impact assessment and for such measures not to be introduced if there are any adverse effects on the animals concerned;
Hats off to the European Parliament! I’m glad they’re taking the leadership role to combat global warming based on the facts presented in the FAO “Livestock’s Long Shadow.” I hope that other governments around the world will look at their example and take similar actions.
Courtesy of Copyright-free-pictures.org.uk
Each one of us can also take action now: try to cut down on our meat consumption. Eat vegetarian or vegan a few days a week or even more to prevent the human race from being drastically reduced by Mother Nature, or face the possibility of extinction like many of the animals in the past few decades.
