Climate Change Campaigns - Part Two

Think you can be a meat-eating environmentalist?

View PDF of flier
or order copies from PETA at http://www.goveg.com

"each of us could make a bigger contribution to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by becoming a vegan than by converting to an eco-friendly car..."

"The Government should actively encourage people to give up meat eating in favour of a plant based vegetarian and vegan diet. A staggering 55 billion animals are raised for meat every year which in effect means 55 billion living beings who have to be fed and watered. This is in addition to the eight and half billion human population which will rise to over nine billion by 2050. Our planet is simply not big enough to sustain these numbers. The result is destruction of rain forests, spreading of deserts and massive methane gas emissions leading to further global warming. To sustain a meat based diet we effectively need two planets which- we do not have. It was Albert Einstein who said: 'Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival of life on Earth as much as evolution to a vegetarian diet".

• the livestock sector presents the greatest threat to the planet as it generates 18% of all greenhouse gases, which is more than the transport sector,
  
• the livestock sector produces 65% of the emission of nitrous dioxide, which has 296 times the global warming potential of CO2,
  
• global production of meat an dairy products will more than double by 2050,
  
• livestock is a major cause of deforestation, soil degradation (overgrazing, compaction and erosion) and negative effects on ground water

The Link between Global Warming and Livestock - Web Resources

1. Cook plants, not planets. Info, campaign resources and recipes from A SEED Europe
   
   
   
2. Gideon Eshel and Pamela Martin are University of Chicago researchers. Their work suggests that changing to a veg diet can be as helpful in reducing global warming as changing from a gas-guzzling car to a car that burns less fossil fuel.
   http://geosci.uchicago.edu/~gidon/papers/nutri/nutri.html
   
   
   
3. A story from the US tv network, ABC, about the Eshel/Martin study described above.
   http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/TenWays/story?id=2119267&page=1
   
   
   
4. "Devour the Earth" is a 20-minute documentary produced in 1995 (but still relevant today) by the UK Vegetarian Society and narrated by Paul McCartney. The script is available at:
   http://vegetarismus.ch/video/vsuk_skripte.htm :

   In 1989 the crew of a space craft watched a smoke cloud from thousands of fires spread across a million square miles of Amazonia - it was rainforest being cleared for cattle ranching.
   
   With the burning of vegetation, huge reservoirs of stored carbon dioxide are unlocked, released to float upwards and provide yet more insulation to prevent heat escaping from the earth.
   
   When the cattle arrive, each one belches out 60 litres of methane every day adding another twist to the spiral.
   
   Together, burning and belching provide the 2nd largest contribution to the greenhouse effect.
   
   

   • Since 1970 (to 1995) the destruction of rainforests in Latin America has contributed over 1.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
     
     
   • Methane gas is responsible for 18% of global warming, with the methane gas content of the atmosphere increasing by 1% per year.
     
     
   • 18% of world methane emissions are from livestock. There are more than 1.3 billion cattle in the world.
     
     
   • 26% of UK methane emissions are from livestock.
     
     
   • UK livestock emissions contribute 1.15 million tonnes of methane to global warming every year.

   
   
   
5. “A new global warming strategy: How environmentalists are overlooking vegetarianism as the most effective tool against climate change in our lifetimes” is a report from EarthSave at
   http://www.earthsave.org/news/earthsave_global_warming_report.pdf
   
   
   
6. An article from The Aquarian, titled “Another Inconvenient Truth: In the modern world, it is impossible to reconcile a carnivorous diet with environmental responsibility.”
   http://www.aquarianonline.com/Eco/anotherinconvenienttruth.htm
   
   
   
7. “Another Inconvenient Truth” is a popular title for articles and talks linking meat and the global warming. Here an article from E Magazine, titled “Another Inconvenient Truth: Meat is a global warming issue.”
   http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3312
   
   
   
8. "Methane: The 'Other' Greenhouse Gas". From Climate Change Update, produced by the National Safety Council’s Environmental Health Center (EHC) under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. December 20, 1999. http://www.nsc.org/%5C//ehc/climate/ccucla5.htm
   
   
   
9. “Where does methane come from”, a webpage from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
   http://www.epa.gov/methane/sources.html
   
   
   
10. The Meatrix is a web-based spin on the trilogy of Matrix films. Opposed to factory farming but not completely veg. This page discusses methane:
    http://www.themeatrix.com/learnmore/wasterecycling.html
    
    
    
11. "Don't forget methane, climate experts say". Study by Hugh Pitcher and Chris MacCracken of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Reid Harvey and Dina Kruger of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Michael Gibbs of the ICF Kaiser Consulting Group, reported by Environmental News Network: November 10, 1999. http://www.cnn.com/NATURE/9911/10/methane.enn/index.html (with further links).
    
    
    
12. “Methane emissions” is the simple title of a Canadian government web document, with accompanying video and teachers’ guide.
    http://www.science.gc.ca/default.asp?Lang=En&n=7B74BC91-1&edit=off

http://www.ivu.org/onlinenews.php

• Sept 7, 2008: "Shun meat, says UN climate chief" : People should consider eating less meat as a way of combating global warming, says the UN's top climate scientist, Rajendra Pachauri, who chairs the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Listen to the speak at Climate Radio
  
  
• Jan 15, 2008: "Please eat less meat -- meat is a very carbon intensive commodity" : head of United Nation's Nobel Prize-winning scientific panel on climate change.
  
  
• June 12, 2007: "Low Carbon Show #6: Meat & Dairy" : Climate Radio visits the largest vegan fayre in the world to find out why eating less meat and dairy is likely to be the single most significant thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.
  
  
• Work out your own personal greenhouse gas contribution, with Quaker Green Action's carbon calculator [pdf]
  Note to self. Jan'08. Veggies worker on sustainable income - 7000kg CO2 emissions - 2/3 UK average, 1/2 USA average, but if the world is to avoid the worst effects of climate change, global emissions will need to be reduced by 60% or more, to below 1,500kg/person, over the next 40 years. How are you doing?
  
  
  
• Ethical Consumers urged to boycott three major climate change criminals .
  
  
• Letter to newspapers - how going vegan can help fight global warming .
  
  
• http://www.goveg.com/environment-globalwarming.asp
  
  
• http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/environment.html
  
  
• http://www.veganorganic.net
  
  
• Planet On A Plate - A VIVA! Giuide

• Freighter ship travel FAQ an alternative to air travel!

Trapese

'Do It Yourself - A handbook for changing our world'

See also Rising Tide UK - a network of groups and individuals dedicated to taking local action and building a movement against climate change. The Rising Tide Climate Action email news sheet is a short summary of the latest news, upcoming events, information and opportunities for action on climate change. Read or subscribe at http://risingtide.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/rt-news

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Nuclear energy is no solution to climate change.
Nuclear power is the problem, not the solution!

Europe must stop wasting taxpayers' money to protect a dangerous and expensive technology. 20 years after the Chernobyl disaster, nuclear power remains the most dangerous mechanism for electricity generation. And, globalised terrorism makes nuclear power stations and the uncontrolled proliferation of nuclear material a serious security hazard.

Nuclear Power - No Thanks!

Buy the sticker from Veggies!.

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ECO POWER CAMPAIGN

1. SWITCH your energy supply to a renewable supplier
   
2. REDUCE your energy demand
   
3. LOCALISE your energy supply...individually, and in our communities

Good Energy is recommended as best buy in the Ethical Consumer's July 2005 green electricity report (for subscribers at http://www.ethiscore.org/report.aspx?ID=245274 )

The company is one of Friends of the Earth UK's recommended green energy tariffs.
See http://www.good-energy.co.uk/

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However Ecotricity is favoured by The Ecologist:

WHY ECOTRICITY?

• Since it was founded in 1995, Ecotricity has built 17.5MW of new wind energy, and currently supplies enough electricity to power 12,000 homes.
  
  
• Ecotricity retains ownership of every wind turbine it erects, ensuring: . Total community support for each turbine . Optimal siting – minimal environmental/ community impact . Best turbine technology on the market – to minimise its operating costs and noise impact . Long-term commitment to wind energy and the community the wind turbine supplies
  
  
• It refuses to invest in non-renewable energy sources, eg coal, gas or nuclear

We can't wait for politicians to act, and can't rely on an energy market that profits from rising energy prices and increasing demand. This is why the Ecologist and Ecotricity have teamed up to ease your transition from expensive centrally supplied energy to clean, locally supplied energy at home (and at work). Our combined research and practical expertise will ensure that the options we recommend for reducing demand and generating your own supply will work without costing you a fortune. No matter where you live you can switch your electricity supply to Ecotricity.

WHY SWITCH NOW?

This year (2006) Ecotricity has 26 wind turbines, totalling 28.8MW of clean energy, approved and ready to build – enough to power 15,000 more homes. All it needs is as many of us to buy our electricity through the company – thereby giving it the financial leverage to put this additional renewable capacity in place.

Together we can fill the gap threatened by nuclear and coal decommissioning while the grey suits in Westminster fiddle.

MAKE THE SWITCH NOW
CALL 01582 520037
Mon to Fri 9:30am-5:30pm quoting ref. ECOPOWER2
http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/

And if you've already made the switch to Ecotricity, please convince a friend to sign up today.

See also: Green Electricity… Are you being conned?
Just change your electricity supplier and help fight climate change. Sounds too good to be true. Is it? The Ecologist June'05

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Read more discussion on these complex choices at http://www.climatecalm.org/drupal/index.php?q=node/14

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Veggies Climate Change Campaigns


http://www.veggies.org.uk/climate

Climate Campaign Menu

• Campaign events supported by Veggies
  
  
• Other Groups & Campaigns
  
  
• Think you can be a meat-eating environmentalist?
  
  
• Global Warming and Livestock - Web Resources
  
  
• 'Do It Yourself - A handbook for changing our world'
  
  
• Nuclear Power - No Thanks!
  
  
• Eco Power Campaign
  
  
• Jump ... back to top
  
  Elsewhere on Veggies Website:
  
  
• See how we calculate our carbon emissions for attending Veggies events.
  
  
• See United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report.
  
  
• Download, print and distribute the Climate Action flier: "Fight Climate Change - Go Vegan": [pdf . html ]
  
  
• Download, print and distribute the flier for the June 3rd Food & Climate Action day: [pdf]