Wilmslow Town Councillor Lata Anderson is calling for people in Wilmslow to go "Meat Free Monday" after a presentation by Sarah Bridle last week on Food and Climate Change organised by local activists Climate Conscious Wilmslow.
Professor Sarah Bridle, Professor of Astrophysics at Manchester University and local resident presented her work on the carbon cost of the food we eat to a packed audience at the United Reformed Church on Thursday, 6th February. She has looked at all the factors that contribute to the carbon costs of our food, and how we as consumers can make informed choices about the food we buy and eat.
Professor Bridle said: "The main messages are that we should work hard to reduce the astonishing amount of food that we as consumers throw away, estimated at £355 worth per household each year, and that we reduce our consumption of meat and dairy products."
Town Councillor Lata Anderson said "it is great to know that Cheshire East Council are now going to collect food waste for composting rather than going to landfill, where it produces large quantities of methane. As a next step, what about encouraging Wilmslow to try "Meat Free Monday" to get a taste for meat free eating?
"To avoid the devastating impact that climate change could have on our lives, action needs to be taken now. Most people want to be involved in reducing our impact on Climate Change but are not sure what they can do. Giving up meat on one day a week is a simple step but one that will make a big difference. By being meat free on one day, we hope people will realise how tasty and nutritious meat-free food can be and potentially extend to another meat free day.If everyone took part in meat-free Monday, it would be the equivalent of taking 240 million cars off the road."
Cllr Anderson added "We are looking for a small team of volunteers to be involved and work in the community.
To get involved in Meat Free Monday, email Lata Anderson.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Good article Lata. Something to think about and maybe act upon.
However the Vegan Bandwagon has latched onto the Carbon Climate Brigade conveniently overlook lots of facts. Here are just two:-
1. We as a country contribute around 2% of global carbon emissions, and even if we manage to bring carbon emissions to zero at whatever damage to our lifestyles and the economy, the rest of the world will bring about climate change regardless.
2. Oil Tankers use a high sulphur (HFO = Heavy Fuel Oil) that is 3500 times more polluting than cars - just 28 Oil Tankers produce more pollution than ALL the worlds cars). How many Oil Tankers in the world - lots more than 28 I'll bet!
Lets concentrate on where the most effective changes will help the earth and stop virtue signalling about how caring we are and fixating on things that will have a negligible effect on the claimed target.
I would like to say that to use not one, but TWO churches, to promote this agenda, is really sinister. The other month it was St Chad's promoting these ideas and now it is the United Reformed. My suggestion is that if you want to promote ideas that are related to the Hindu religion, then do it via a Hindu temple.
@Robert Kemp, I'm sure it is more complicated than this but if we contribute 2% for a country with 0.87% of the world's population, does that not mean we are contributing well over what we should be? Re the shipping, I believe there are moves afoot trying to clean up shipping as far as possible but other than only buying UK products, there's not much we can do about that (not many of us drive tankers for a living).
I would say meat-free Monday is an easy thing that people who are concerned about environmental issues can do to help with little effort. I'm not someone who loses sleep over climate change but I see that it's a problem and that every little helps.
Good on Lata for making an effort to do something.
I'm also far from convinced by their 'planet saving' claims. In UK, cows live in great big green fields. Such fields are excellent carbon sinks. Vegans, however, buy exotic foods from overseas, many of which use a lot of rare resources such as fresh water in the countries where they are grown. How does this impact local populations?
And then there's the massive carbon footprint created by importing these faddy foods into the UK.
From where does Lata Anderson get the idea that it is acceptable to impose her beliefs on others? Back off, Councillor!
A few points...
1. Dictating something isn't the same as suggesting it. But claiming something is being dictated sounds a lot more emotive and dramatic, doesn't it?
2. Having a meet free Monday isn't veganism. Nor is it even vegetarianism. No more than the traditional fish and chips on Friday makes you a pescatarian.
3. Anyone can book the church halls. This isn't nasty or sinister.
4. Not eating meat doesn't make someone Hindu. Nor are all Hindus vegetarian. It's strange to repeatedly link the two, and to imply this is a negative may not be completely unrelated to missing posts.
5. The idea that if we can't solve all environmental problems ourselves it isn't worth doing anything is reductive and flawed, especially as so many other countries are doing a lot, and more than us.
"detrimental effects on climate change of a meat-based diet (the evidence for which is now overwhelming)." Really!!!!"
"To avoid the devastating impact that climate change could have on our lives, action needs to be taken now." Spoken like a true believer.
If the water melon brigade wish to attempt to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere ( human influence contributes a small amount) then the most effective and quick way would be to stop the 15 countries concerned burning down rain forest. This contributes around 15-25% of CO2.
However to follow the above advice:
Almonds. Grown in California. Suck up water contributing to drought and forest fires spewing CO2. Flown all over the world.
Avocados. Grown in Mexico and other far away places. Suck up water contributing to drought and increasing transport costs for food for locals (Mexico). Flown to Europe.
Quinoa beans. I really shouldn't have to explain to our educated readers but flown from Peru and Ecuador and now locals cannot afford part of their staple diet due to greenies.
Kiwi fruit. Clue in the name. NOT green.
Maybe a bag of chlorinated salad then!!!
On Monday I shall have 4 local lamb chops (two extra to make up for the gullible) and some Cheshire spuds and veg. How green is that???
I see that Jack Pink and Ryan Dance have a new competitor in wind-up merchant "Rev. Sevillia". It's almost as if they are the same person.
Get a grip folks, there is only one seat on the bus reserved for nutters.
No one is telling you not to eat meat, it is a suggestion for those very many people who actually want to make a difference for future generations but perhaps aren't quite sure how to; something simple to adopt to help you make a positive change. If everyone adopted meat free Monday (don't worry, no one is ordering you to) it would have the same effect on carbon emissions as taking 240 million cars off the road. Some of you might be surprised how many people in Wilmslow actually do want to make a change to the way we live and don't want to be remembered as the generation that ruined everything and took all the Earth's resources, leaving our children and grandchildren with nothing.
So well done Lata for a great suggestion and look forward to hearing how those people who want to engage with this campaign get on with MeatFreeMonday!
For anyone unclear about the numbers, Prof Sarah Bridle - having not found the data - has been researching this for the last three years.
We've realised that by significantly reducing the amount of meat we eat - with all the health benefits of a (mainly) plant-based diet and money saved - we can occasionally "treat" ourselves to quality organic, grass-fed produce. We also make it stretch: bolognaise filled out with mushrooms or lentils, home made chicken stock from leftover bones to make those "veggie" meals even tastier... plenty of ideas if you want to give it a go.
Thanks for all the figures Sheba but a cursory check contradicts them.
On another note perhaps pet owners will now start to feel guilty at the contribution their animal's food and its transportation makes to the environment. Thought not!!!!!
No cotton of course. Massive water use. Check out waste in the fashion industry.
No jewellery of course. Frivolous, polluting and wasteful.
Walk/cycle to work or school. Thought not.
No worshipping at the (other) great God retail on a Sunday. Miles away. Yeah sure!!
No third/new world wines. Ermm!!!
No new car. Ha Ha!!
No new up to date mobile phone complete with rare earth elements only mined in China due to the heavy pollution it causes. Yup!!
Strange how the young who care so much are the biggest consumers and always need the heating on!!
So let's all grab some fruit and veg on Monday - that will save........
I like fish too, by the way. I also enjoy a good steak. ;-)
Seriously though I think meat free Monday is a good idea if it has the benefits described( Or Tuesday or any other day that one chooses)