Paul McCartney has launched “Meat-Free Mondays” to help cut carbon emissions. The livestock industy is responsible for about 18% of global greenhouse gases. The aim to cut back on our meat consumption is more likely to be achievable than encouraging everyone to turn vegetarian.
Good quality organic meat is a luxury, so perhaps we should be aiming for quality rather than quantity. Here’s two quotes from Italian cooks:
“Years ago in my village, meat was not consumed very often as we were by the sea and fish would obviously cost a lot less…… If we have to reduce our weekly intake of meat to be able to afford the best [organic], then so bet it.”
- Gennaro Contaldo
“Traditionally, vegetables were cooked more often in a Sicilian kitchen than was meat. Meat was expensive and so it was saved for special occasions and celebrations.”
- Rosa Mitchell
We’re been trying to eat vegetarian at least once a day. Please leave your suggestions for any vegetarian recipes that you have tried and would recommend.
See the Support Meat Free Monday and the Price of Meat blog for more information on this topic.
29 June 2009 at 4:17 am
There are some tasty recipes on http://www.supportmfm.org. I’ll have to try some.
30 June 2009 at 12:57 pm
Paul McCartney taking the lead is among the several recent marks of the transition of the Meatless Monday movement into a global one. We here at Meatless Monday work with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to encourage a reduced meat diet to improve health and lower environmental impact and were thrilled to hear of the efforts of McCartney and his daughters. The website explains the campaign in more depth, including the strong nutrition as well as environmental focus: http://www.meatlessmonday.com.