humane society launches ‘eat less meat’ campaign
Date: June 19, 2008
Humane society launches ‘Eat less meat’ campaign
Full-page newspaper ad spearheads effort to raise awareness of environmental, animal welfare and health costs of meat
Vancouver - Any way you slice it the overconsumption of meat is bad for animal welfare, the environment, and human health. That’s the message of a campaign launched today (June 19) by the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) urging Metro Vancouver residents to cut down their meat consumption.
VHS is running a full-page advertisement in this week’s Georgia Straight newspaper to raise awareness of the problems caused by the production and consumption of meat.
“The rising demand for meat is driving an expansion of factory farming here and around the world,” says VHS spokesperson Peter Fricker. “This is not only causing literally billions of animals to suffer but it’s also damaging the environment and affecting human health.”
VHS says intensive farming methods are inhumane, confining animals in cramped, unsanitary conditions and depriving them of the most basic behavioural needs.
But VHS also points to scientific research confirming that livestock production is a major contributor to global warming and a significant source of water and air pollution. “Meat production is a wasteful, dirty business that degrades the environment,” says Fricker.
The overconsumption of meat is also making us fat and unhealthy says VHS, which cites recent research by the World Cancer Research Fund that found strong evidence that the overconsumption of red meat causes bowel cancer. Past research has linked eating meat with other cancers, obesity and diabetes.
VHS is urging consumers to cut their meat intake to reduce the need for factory farms, take pressure off the environment and improve their own health. “Even having two meat-free days a week will make a difference,” says Fricker.
