For a Greener Earth

Meat Free Frydays!

Our fellow vegetarians in Australia are taking a stand against the media campaign that promotes lamb as the only food to eat on Australia Day.  Read the press release, Vegetarian Society Slams Lamb Australia Day Commercials, below for more information:

Vegetarian Society Slams Lamb Australia Day Commercials

The Australian Vegetarian Society has hit out at Meat and Livestock Australia’s saturated media campaign that promotes lamb as the only food to eat on Australia Day.   “The Vegetarian Society has had a gutful of the heavy-handed tactics employed by Meat and Livestock Australia whereby lamb is force-fed down our throats in the saturated media blitz leading up to Australia Day,” commented NSW President of the Australian Vegetarian Society, Mark Berriman.

“We believe it is time to strike a balance and implore all Australians to eat a diet rich in fabulous and nutritious fruit and vegetables.

Simon Kennovich, Ambassador of the Great Australian Vegetarian Fry up (and arch rival to Sam Kekovich) added, “the Meat and Livestock mob expect us to eat lamb on Australia Day and that’s an animal native to England!  At least these meat eating cave dwellers aren’t picking on Kangaroos.”

Mark Berriman continued; “It’s important to remember - whether you eat poor ‘Skippy’, a defenceless lamb or peaceful cow - the fact remains the same; eating meat adds considerable greenhouse gases to our overheating earth.

“We fully support Australians giving vegetarianism a red hot try this Australia Day and encourage everyone to get down to Bondi Beach for the great Australian Vegetarian Fry-up!”

For a gold coin donation this Australia Day, all Australians can enjoy a delicious Fry’s faux meat burger on a freshly baked Bakers Delight roll, with your choice of MasterFoods sauce at Australia’s biggest Vegetarian BBQ. All proceeds raised will be donated to Bondi Surf Life Saving Club.
~ENDS~
For all interviews:  Contact Fleur Peters on 02 9775 7000 / 0415-394-791 or fleur@markcomms.com.au

To view a video click here

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Livestock and Climate Change
by Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang

Livestock and Climate Change: What if the key actors in climate change are…cows, pigs, and chickens?

The environmental impact of the lifecycle and supply chain of animals raised for food has been vastly underestimated, and in fact accounts for at least half of all human-caused greenhouse gases (GHGs), according to Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang, co-authors of “Livestock and Climate Change”.

A widely cited 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Livestock’s Long Shadow, estimates that 18 percent of annual worldwide GHG emissions are attributable to cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, camels, pigs, and poultry. But recent analysis by Goodland and Anhang finds that livestock and their byproducts actually account for at least 32.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year, or 51 percent of annual worldwide GHG emissions.

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Why it’s green to go vegetarian

There were approximately 6.5 billion people living on earth in 2005 and as the world’s population continues to grow, our requirement for food will also increase. Click here to read more.

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Global Warming
Eating meat is one of the greatest causes of global warming. By eating lower on the food chain - ideally, an-all-plant-based diet — humankind can take an essential and enormous step in reducing global warming. A 2006 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report entitled Livestock’s Long Shadow (www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448) concludes that global animal agriculture contributes more greenhouse gas emissions (in CO2 equivalents), an astonishing 18 percent of the total, more than all forms of transportation. Furthermore, the global warming potential and effect of these gases is more striking since methane and nitrous oxide are 23 and 296 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. A University of Chicago study found that the average American diet, including all food processing steps, annually produces 1.5 tons of CO2-equivalent more than a meat-free diet.

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Environment and Humanitarianism
The world is currently raising over 50 billion farmed animals for slaughter each year and, in addition to its major impact on global warming, this is contributing significantly to the destruction of tropical rainforests and other valuable habitats, rapid species extinction, soil erosion and depletion and other environmental threats. Because of its high degree of inefficiency compared to plant protein production, animal agriculture is disproportionately depleting the planet’s dwindling reserves of fresh water, land, fuel, and other resources. More than ½ of the maize we grow goes to animal feedlots, while 1 child dies every 45 minutes from malnutrition-related sickness. It requires 500 times as much land to produce 1kg beef as 1kg vegetables. 30kg vegetation is needed to produce 1kg beef. Protein derived from meat requires 25 times more energy to produce than comparable protein from grain. 250 l water needed to produce 1kg wheat; 25000 l water needed to produce 1 kg meat!