21
Apr
Sir Paul McCartney to Green Groups: Go Veg!
- posted at 10:51 AM
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Just in time for Earth Day tomorrow, here’s an exclusive interview Sir Paul McCartney did with PETA US about the positive impact of vegetarianism on the environment. Enjoy!
1) What do you think is the most personal change a person can make in
their own lifestyle to help the environment? Some people often think
recycling and taking shorter showers is all they need to do. What would
you add?
I think the biggest change anyone could make in their own
lifestyle would be to become vegetarian. Although this may seem to some
like an unusual answer, the Global Meat Industry and the land & water
required to service it is one of the major contributors to Global
Warming. This surprising fact has emerged in research over the past few
years. So 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.
2) What do you think about the fact that most major environmental
organizations and the most prominent environmental advocates are
omitting vegetarianism from their list of the top ways to help curtail
global warming?
I think 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. Of course there are many
powerful businesses which would wish to resist this idea but it is
becoming clearer that a simple change in peoples’ lifestyles could make
a major difference to our environment. What is interesting is that
nowadays it is so easy to become vegetarian and so many people are
reducing meat in their diet. That is a simple but extremely effective
step that many people could take to help the environment and improve
their own health at the same time.
3) How do you feel about the disappearance of birds, other wild animals
and natural places around the globe?
It is such a pity that the wildlife and natural places of this
beautiful planet we inhabit are being destroyed by thoughtless
industrialization. This scandal can be halted and there are hopeful
signs that people are starting to realize that this must be done to
secure a brighter future for our children and theirs.
4) What do you feel is the best step for a person who is concerned about
over-fishing, marine pollution and the clear-cutting of the ocean floor
by commercial fisheries, to take?
Unfortunately many people seem to think that vegetarians eat
fish but this is not so and when you consider the over fishing, the
marine pollution and the huge damage to our precious oceans that are
caused by commercial fishing it becomes obvious that a vegetarian
lifestyle would greatly improve our environment and help to save our
oceans. The surprising thing is that even though many of us, including
me, were brought up as traditional meat and fish eaters, it is a simple
matter these days and an exciting one to consider changing your diet to
a healthier one which not only brings benefits to the person who does it
but also to the planet as a whole.
I agree with Sir Paul’s point. I have only recently become a vegetarian in the last 6 months or so. I have lost 6 stone and my body feels so much better for not eating meat. But i’ve realised that it’s not just my body but my mind and my conscience that feels cleansed as well.
Coming from a background of mixed parentage with my father being African and my mother part Irish, meat is a big thing in my house. But It never felt right some how having to eat meat, but you do it in some cases because that’s how you have been brought up.
I couldn’t have made this change on my own. I was shown by my partner that you can eat great food without it having to be at the expense of a life being taken. So thank you for that, I will always appreciate it. I hope others will follow suit when they realise that what they are eating, died under cruel conditions when their are perfectly good alternatives.