FORMER Beatle Paul McCartney is urging the world to go vegetarian in a bid to fight global warming and is surprised more green groups don't promote it.

In an interview with the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), McCartney said the global meat industry was a major contributor to global warming.

“The biggest change anyone could make in their own lifestyle would be to become vegetarian,” said McCartney, a longtime vegetarian and advocate of vegetarianism.

“I would urge everyone to think about taking this simple step to help our precious environment and save it for the children of the future.”

McCartney says the amount of land and water used to maintain the meat industry makes it a major contributor to climate change and complains that most environmental groups do not list vegetarianism as one of their top priorities.

“It's very surprising that most major environmental organisations are leaving the option of going vegetarian off their lists of top ways to curtail global warming,” he said.

A 2006 United Nations report found that cattle-rearing generated more greenhouse gases than transportation.

He's right! Largest emissions of methan gas comes from the beaf/pig industry. We are destroying the oceans with pollution from industry and over fishing. I am a meat eater and love a good steak, but he's right.

Yap yap yaaap...

Thought he had a fondness for leg of meat?!
Sorry.

"I'll be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon."

well he´s right, that´s what we all know. but to change a lifestyle is one of the hardest thing. for me it was easier to give up smoking

Soy is a good substitute for meat, however, soy is known for producing gas in humans.
Beans are a good source of protein, however, well, you know.

I am already a vegetarian but dont buy at all political change agenda based on the personal ethics of individuals. It simply would not work. Freedom of choice is the base. Of course meat industry (food industry in general) is part of the picture and the picture is "warming". But humans are animals that eat everything. Of course you have freedom of choice and there's not a biological destiny that prevent you from becoming vegetarian. But sure i wont try to convince people to become vegetarian to help solve the global warming. It is like someone try to convince women to abort to solve the overpopulation problem...wait a minute that's been China politics already for a while... Not for me thanks. There's a lot of things one can do to take responsability, and if one see vegetarianism as his or her own good choice, be it. but it is really frightening to see this kind of strictly personal choices picked up as political agenda. Even if it is for a good cause... imo

Macca is spot on!

Meat is murder.

If Macca REALLY wants to change the eating habits of the WESTERN WORLD he needs to put his money where his mouth is and open 1000's of MACCA VEGI FAST FOOD (but healthy) RESTAURANTS (with Drive Thru) cause it's the TIME that it takes to prepare that keeps people away from vegi food. People don't have the time to fix a vegi meal 3 times a day.... it's a lot of extra work..... Just open the new competitors to McDonalds - "MACCA'S" all over the world. You'd see me being a big time customer, get some healthy, tasty meals goin', Yeah, that would be great... MAKE IT HAPPEN PAUL !!!!

If god didn't want us to eat animals, he wouldnt have made them out of meat...If Homer didnt say this, he shoulda...

JR

Bu is it proven that a veggie diet is more healthy than a diet, where meat is consumed once in a while?

Personally, i choose not to take advice, environment-related,
(or otherwise) from pop stars.

Especially those, whos, own failings and poor judgement
cost them so dearly.

Undepending of this, I've already gone one.

I like meat too much to ever become a vegi I'm afraid..

Thought so too, but now I at least get to go for a cr*p much more regularly.

Quote
Adrian-L
Personally, i choose not to take advice, environment-related,
(or otherwise) from pop stars.

Especially those, whos, own failings and poor judgement
cost them so dearly.

quite so ;^)

I'm a vegetarian and am bound to agree with him in principal.

But there's a twist here - vegetarians, generally, themselves produce more methane than those with a less veggie diet. But on balance, ok, substitute flatulent humans for flatulent four-legged meat-units.

I wonder if Macca drinks milk. Trying to cut down on it myself - but tea is so addictive.

But Milk is Murder too!

(And murder is murder)

ROCKMAN

Quote
HelterSkelter
If Macca REALLY wants to change the eating habits of the WESTERN WORLD he needs to put his money where his mouth is and open 1000's of MACCA VEGI FAST FOOD (but healthy) RESTAURANTS (with Drive Thru)

Didn't work for Kenny Rogers!

Oh, wait, that was fried chicken.

macca is a complete idiot

Eating meat = global warming. That is a good one.

I imagine Paul rides his bike to the market everyday too. : )



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-04-22 03:02 by Markdog.

No where did he say eating meat is murder. Where does that come from? What, it's the same as abortion?

Those stupid 'go green' light bulbs, the curly ones - yeah, those are great for the environment. What a stupid bunch of bullshit those are.

Does anyone remember bio-degradable garbage bags? Ha ha! All they needed was SUNLIGHT to rot.

even just eliminating red meat and pork is huge environmentally, you don't have to go completely veggie/vegan. the ranch lands (especially clearcut rainforests in south america made for cattle), the water use, the tons of pounds of plantfood which convert to far less pounds of meat, the shots, the hormones, the grains fed to 'finish' the cows (fatten up the grass eaters before slaughter), the refrigeration cars, transport, etc., all contribute to a large loss of resources and environment. not to mention the thousands of pounds of meat recalled as unsafe every year.

just taking it down a notch (from red meat and pork) and eating free range chickens, turkeys, eggs, from a semi-local (within 150 miles) farm, and some fish/seafood, etc. can contribute mightily to easing resource use. it doesn't have to be about global warming, just better environmental responsibility. that's what i do; i don't think i could go completely veggie/vegan even though i've been off red meat/pork for 20 years.

In no way is not eating meat directly better for the environment - it still requires gasoline and diesel (this whole ethanol thing is stupid since it takes over a gallon of gas to make a gallon of ethanol) to move plow the fields, plant the plants, farm the plants, sort out the product, etc...the plastic and cellophane to wrap it up, box it up, etc...

Now, as far as eating and do we really require meat anymore? Not really.

I know far more people with health problems who are vegetarians than carnivours. Linda was a good example.

and diesel to move plow the fields, plant the plants, farm the plants





ROCKMAN

The problem with doing away with meat is that there is simply no replacement. You can squawk about the virtues of soy and tofu burgers all you want but I would rather eat a dried up terd than eat that crap. I can't imagine a world without White Castles and Wendy's and New York strip steaks. That world would be quite boring for me.

If we could only teach the cows to go get the veggies from the fields then eat them both...best possible solution.

Quote
Rockman
and diesel to move plow the fields, plant the plants, farm the plants

Bingo!

Even the simple act of tilling the land in order to plant the seeds releases carbon, and significant amounts of it, into the atmosphere.

I'll be taking my dietary advice from Macca the same day he decides to take marital advice from me. On second thought, I could have saved him a few quid if he had only asked...

I could never be vegetarian. However I do eat myshare of fruitsveggies to keep healthy. I gotta have my meat but in quantities. Imagine of world of no prime rib, t-bones, roasts.