New York City Mayor Announces Meatless Monday School Program to Tackle Climate Change and Obesity

New York joins a growing group of cities that are reducing meat consumption, with recent Meatless Monday proclamations issued in Pittsburgh, Sacramento, and Vancouver, B.C. Global leaders, including Argentinian President Mauricio Macri and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have also committed to practicing Meatless Monday.

"Cutting back a little on meat will help make our city healthier and our planet stronger for generations to come," said de Blasio. He added that both the obesity and climate change crises can be meaningfully addressed by adopting a more plant-based diet.

According to research from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, scientific adviser to the Meatless Monday campaign, livestock production is a major driver of climate change, contributing to nearly 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Based on predictions, if upward trends of meat and dairy consumption continue, global mean temperature rise will more than likely exceed 2 degrees Celsius, the level that scientists agree we must stay below to avoid the most catastrophic climate change scenarios.

In addition to reducing climate impact, diets that favor plant-based instead of animal protein can lower the risk of chronic preventable diseases like cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Sid Lerner, founder of The Monday Campaigns and the Meatless Monday movement, said, "We're thrilled that NYC schools will participate in Meatless Monday to introduce kids to delicious plant-based options that can create healthy eating habits for life. Congratulations to the mayor for his leadership in taking Meatless Monday into the future, for our health and the health of the planet."

The Meatless Monday movement has been integrated in all types of sites, including schools, restaurants, hospitals, college campuses, corporations, and communities. Free resources to start Meatless Monday are at www.meatlessmonday.com/start-a-campaign.

Meatless Monday is an initiative of The Monday Campaigns, associated with The Lerner Centers for Public Health Promotion at Johns Hopkins, Columbia and Syracuse universities. The campaign seeks to reduce the risk of preventable chronic diseases and lessen the environmental impact associated with meat consumption. The campaigns are founded on research that shows Monday as the day people are most primed to start and sustain a healthy new behavior. Since its 2003 launch, Meatless Monday has become an international movement with support from schools, restaurants, hospitals and communities.

SOURCE The Monday Campaigns

Related Links

http://www.mondaycampaigns.org