Support Dietary Changes in upcoming Copenhagen Climate Crisis Conference

[Guest guest]

September 9, 2009

 

Dear fellow vegetarian and animal rights activists,

 

Please indicate that you are willing to have your group listed as a supporter of

our press release and letter to delegates (both documents are below) to the

December Copenhagen climate conference, asking them to recommend a switch to

plant-based diets as part of their recommendations to reduce global warming. If

you are willing, please send me the complete name of your group and the URL for

your web site.

 

I am working as director of Veg Climate Alliance on this and other ways of

getting a consideration of dietary changes on the Copenhagen conference agenda.

An outline of our reasons is below.

 

* There is almost daily additional evidence that the world is rapidly

approaching an unprecedented catastrophe from global climate change and other

environmental threats;

 

* There is also increasing evidence that a major societal shift to plant-based

diets is an essential part of efforts to avoid a climate disaster;

 

* The Copenhagen climate change conference scheduled for December is a potential

turning point. It is absolutely essential that the conference agree on a set of

guidelines to sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions and it is also essential

that they stress the importance of a major reduction in the consumption of

animal foods.

 

* it is essential that we do everything possible to obtain that aim. Please

carefully consider the material below and think about how you can use the items

to further our objectives. Consider ways that you can help get plant-based diets

onto the Copenhagen conference agenda and society's agenda, in general.

 

* So, please endorse our initiative by sending me the complete name of your

group and if you have contacts with other veg, animal rights, environmental or

health groups, please try to get them to endorse our press release and letter

that will be sent to delegates to the Copenhagen conference.

 

As always, suggestions are very welcome.

 

Many thanks, and best wishes,

 

Richard (Schwartz)

 

=========================

1. Press Release on Letter Being Sent to the Delegates to the December

Copenhagen Climate Crisis Conference Urging They Support Shifts to Plant-Based

Diets

 

[We are seeking endorsements from organizations for this press release and the

accompanying letter in item #2. Please let me know if your group is willing to

be listed as an endorser. That endorsement basically just means that you support

having the delegates to the Copenhagen climate conference including a shift

toward plant-based diets as part of their recommendations. Thanks.]

 

For Immediate Release:

Contact:

Richard H. Schwartz, Director, Veg Climate Alliance

director

Phone: (718) 761-5876 Cell: 917-576-0344

 

TO AVERT CLIMATE CATASTROPHE, COALITION URGES WORLD LEADERS TO PUT DIETARY

CHANGES ONTO COPENHAGEN CLIMATE CONFERENCE AGENDA

 

New York, A major societal shift to plant-based diets is essential to

avoid an unprecedented global climate catastrophe! This is the message that a

broad coalition of environmental, vegetarian, animal rights, health and other

groups (complete list in formation at the end of this release) is sending in a

letter to world leaders and groups that will be involved with the major global

climate change conference in Copenhagen in December.

 

The text of the letter is also after this press release.

 

The alliance's letter discusses recent reports showing the major role that

animal-based agriculture plays in increasing global warming, including a 2006 UN

Food and Agriculture Organization report, " Livestock's Long Shadow. "

 

The letter also stresses benefits of plant-based diets in many other areas of

concern to the world leaders, including health, environmental sustainability,

resource conservation, reducing hunger and lessening threats from terrorism and

war.

 

In addition, the organizers of this initiative plan to invite conference

delegates to meet with supporters of this initiative to discuss dietary

connections to climate change. They also plan to support groups promoting

meatless days who will invite the conference delegates to take part in at least

one meatless day per week during the conference.

 

Many of the groups and individuals supporting this initiative will also be

involved in demonstrations, forums and other activities in Copenhagen promoting

the messages in the letter. A special forum discussing how a shift to

plant-based diets is essential to reduce global warming threats is being

planned, as is a session when delegates can discuss the issues with experts on

dietary connections to climate change.

 

=========================

2. Text of Letter Being Sent to the Delegates to the December Copenhagen Climate

Crisis Conference Urging They Support Shifts to Plant-Based Diets

 

Here is the letter that is being sent to the world leaders and other

participants in the Copenhagen conference:

 

[As indicated above, we are seeking endorsements from organizations for this

press release in the above item and this accompanying letter. Please let me know

if your group is willing to be listed as an endorser. As indicated above, that

endorsement basically just means that you support having the delegates to the

Copenhagen climate conference including a shift toward plant-based diets as part

of their recommendations. Thanks.]

----------------------

 

Dear ______________ ,

 

Please consider the mounting evidence that a major societal shift towards

plant-based diets is essential if the world is to avoid an unprecedented

catastrophe from climate change and other environmental threats. And please help

inform the public of the negative environmental effects of their food choices

and the urgency of major dietary changes, in order to help shift our imperiled

planet to a sustainable path.

 

We urge you to consider the following important but often overlooked research,

as you consider recommendations for reducing climate threats.

 

o A 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization

" Livestock's Long Shadow " determined that livestock production is globally

responsible for more GHGs (in CO2 equivalents) than all the world's transport

combined (18 percent vs. 13.5 percent).

 

o There is increasing evidence that the impact of animal agriculture is far

worse than the 18% mentioned. A new assessment by two environmental specialists,

one of whom is internationally distinguished, to be published by an important

publication in October, concludes that the livestock sector contributes over

half of global human-caused emissions.

 

o Making the situation even worse, the UN report projects that the world's

population of farmed animals will double in 50 years if current trends continue.

The resulting increase in GHGs would largely negate emission reductions from all

other sectors - making it very unlikely that we will be able to avoid the

impending climate disaster.

 

Hence it is absolutely imperative that there be a major shift toward plant-based

diets if we are to have even a chance to avoid the impending catastrophe. This

is why Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change, and others are urging people to significantly reduce their consumption

of meat.

 

So, please consider recommending that governments stop subsidizing the

production of animal products and begin subsidizing healthier, more

environmentally-positive food production and consumption choices.

 

Besides reducing global warming threats, a dietary shift away from animal

products would have many other globally significant social and environmental

benefits:

 

o Increased health and quality of life. There would be a major relief from

chronic disease epidemics such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, with a

related decrease in medical expenditures, freeing public funds to meet

environmental and other societal challenges.

 

o The prevention of future zoological diseases and infections such as swine flu,

bird flu, MRSA, mad cow disease, blue tongue disease, E. coli.

 

o A significant relief to global chronic hunger which now afflicts over a

billion people. Over 40 percent of the world's grain is fed to farmed animals,

and most vital nutrients are lost in the conversion;

 

o The reduction of many environmental threats. Raising over 60 billion animals

annually worldwide is the major contributor to most, if not all, environmental

problems. These include wholesale deforestation, soil erosion and depletion,

ocean and fresh water pollution and other habitat poisoning, the rapid

extinction of species, and many more environmental problems (outlined well in

Livestock's Long Shadow);

 

o Safeguarding future resources. The production of animal products wastes huge

amounts of water, land, energy and other valuable resources.

 

o Peaceful prospects. Because of global climate change, there will be many more

desperate hungry, thirsty, homeless people fleeing droughts, wildfires, storms,

floods and disease, greatly increasing the potential for instability, violence,

terrorism and war.

 

Taking the above factors into account, it is clear that the world's people are

at a perilous turning point. We can continue present diets and contribute to the

mounting problems and approaching calamity. Or we can shift to nutritious

plant-based diets, greatly increasing prospects for a more peaceful, healthy and

sustainable future for the planet's people.

 

You are in a position to help determine the fate of future generations. Please

do all that you can to help the world make the dietary and other choices that

can help avoid the impending cataclysm.

 

Thank you for your consideration, and best wishes as you carry on with your

important efforts toward a better, more environmentally sustainable world.

 

Very truly yours,

 

Richard Schwartz, Veg Climate Alliance

==========================

Supporting groups include:

(List in formation)

 

Veg Climate Alliance (Initiator of the Letter)

www.VegClimateAlliance.org