Cincinatti Urges Residents to Eat Less Meat
The city of Cincinatti joined the choir growing louder by the day, urging residents to consider eating less meat in an effort to combat climate change. As part of the Green Cincinatti Plan, the city’s Food Task Force met for the first time and discussed a campaign that would ask that residents replace some of the meat in their diet with fresh fruits and vegetables.
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The goal would be that each resident cut back one day of meat consumption per week by 2012. Meat production is responsible for producing roughly one fifth of global greenhouse gases.
Other facets of the proposal include promoting fresh, local foods with less packaging and organic food.
Eating less meat is just one part of a plan that started in October 2007, when Cincinatti’s City Council unanimously directed the city manager to develop a climate action plan, which includes more than 80 recommendations on how the city can reduce its footprint, from using energy efficient light bulbs to giving the city’s 6,000 employees free public transportation.
So far, the city once called Porkopolis has mixed reactions to the idea.
Image Credit: ellievanhoute at Flickr through a Creative Commons License
Very interesting that a city government would advocate a change in diet due to climate change rather than health reasons. It’s long been known that the production of meat is an extremely inefficient method of providing food, but the greenhouse factor adds to the problem.
[...] from Greenpeace Brazil attributed 80% of the amazon’s deforestation to cattle production. Cincinnati is even encouraging residents to eat less meat to help combat climate change! Switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet is a tremendous way to help [...]
This “holyer than thou” city government must be challenged! Oslo, Norway, runs its buses on bio-gas from a new sewage processing plant, and if they can, Cincinnati can! and Cincinnati certainly has a lot more sewage! The exhaust fumes from the buses is carbon neutral, and the sewage process provides a fertilizer topsoil enhancer for local gardens and farms! The oil not burned is a tax-saving bonus! Call the Noewigians for the “How-To” Yankee Doodle!
That’s just what we need in a recession. To have businesses that serve meat to have fewer customers.
Great! Increase the carbohydrate consumption.
Reduce the protein consumption.
Then act surprised when diabetes rates soar.
Invest in the healthcare sector…
Priceless!
Sandi, I’m not sure there is much of a correlation between vegetarianism and diabetes. There are plenty of sources of protein besides meat.
And more importantly, this act would merely REDUCE meat consumption, not seek to eliminate it.
And in the capitalist tradition, the “businesses serving meat” would simply have to adjust menus to meet demands for this mild reduction in meat consumption and include more vegetable based foods.
It’s also healthier to eat less beef.
Actually veganism and increased raw food consumption can reverse diabetes…. And the meat industry is subsidized by the government. A reduction in production would result in less federal spending.
I think its a good idea. I have tried vegetarianism for a few months now and am surprised how easy the shift was. One animal source food I am hanging on to is ghee but you don’t have to kill a cow for that.
Anyway, any nutritionist will tell you that adding more fruit and veges to your diet can only improve your health and not otherwise