McDonald’s is having a pretty rough time of late. First, a McDonald’s in Liverpool decided to “acknowledge the outstanding contribution the Beatles made to both local and global culture” by using photographs of the band to decorate its walls. Yeah sure, the guys come from Liverpool, but did they really think that would be a good idea?! Our beloved Sir Paul McCartney, had an inkling (like most with half an ounce of sense) that McDonald’s might really just have wanted to use the Beatles to sell hamburgers, and he wasn’t buying it. Having been an outspoken vegetarian for 30 years, he’s calling for a worldwide boycott of McDonald’s.

Then, while Sir Paul was urging everyone to avoid McDonald’s all-flesh burgers, Venezuela simply removed the option altogether. According to news reports, the nation actually shut down all 115 McDonald’s branches for a full 48 hours as punishment for “alleged tax irregularities.”

To top it off, a TMZ reporter went into an L.A. McDonald’s across the pond and ordered a Happy Meal but when she got her order, the box advertised an electronic “Michael Vick football” game. Nothing says “great for kids” quite like that, right? Michael Vick is, of course, the American football player caught up in that rather embarrassing dogfighting scandal last year. Apparently, the Happy Meal box was from 2004, and, in McDonald’s eyes, “does not reflect any current partnership with Michael Vick.”

Sure, a tough week for Maccy D’s, but considering what it does to animals on a daily basis, I’m not convinced that it deserves a break today.

Today sees the opening of Sir Paul McCartney’s tribute exhibition which will display his late wife Linda’s stunning photograph collection. The BBC has posted photos of Paul at the exhibition, and a selection of some of Linda’s finest work. The exhibition is open until 19th July.

Paul and Linda’s daughter, Mary McCartney, is also an amazing professional photographer and shot a couple of our ads, see Sophie Ellis Bextor and Jamelia (below).

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.

The one and only Sir Paul McCartney has starred in an amazing new ad for PETA, in which he proudly states, “I am Paul McCartney, and I am a Vegetarian.” It’s about time people stood up for the much overlooked fish and realised they’re not swimming vegetables.

He gives an insight into why he went veggie all those years back:

“Many years ago, I was fishing and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realised, ‘I am killing him – all for the passing pleasure it brings me.’ And something inside me clicked. I realised as I watched him fight for breath, that his life was as important to him as mine is to me.”

Thank you Paul! Maybe all those years living in a yellow submarine helped him see things from a fish’s point of view. Sorry, that was bad…

Follow in his and other celebs‘ footsteps by going vegetarian. Go on, give it a try right now!