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A Little History

A friend asked me why so many "Meatless Monday" groups were "popping up."

One answer: It's About Time.

And although there is a mega-campaign going on currently, in fact the concept is much older. This is from that same campaign's page on Wikipedia:

"During World War I, the United States Food and Drug Administration urged families to observe 'Meatless Monday,' 'Wheatless Wednesday,' and other measures to help the war effort. Conserving food would support U.S. troops as well as feed starving populations in Europe where food production and distribution had been disrupted by war..."

"The campaign came back into play with the onset of World War II, calling upon women at the home front to play a role in supporting the war effort...."
Why the history lesson? Just this: Apparently the U.S. government, as far back as World War I, recognized what a tremendous strain the meat induistry puts on natural (and national) resources. Notice the "Wheatless Wednesday" campaign? Wheat, too, is precious ("the staff of life"), and beef production uses more than its fair share.

So give the resources a break. If you're a meat-eater, have a vegetarian Monday. And if you're already a vegetarian, go "mooless" and avoid dairy foods for a day.

Already vegan? Good for you! Now tell a friend!

So we can all Live and Let Live.
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2 comments:

  1. DoyleFeb 15, 2010 07:13 AM
    Isn't meatless Monday kind of like suggesting that a smoker have a smokeless Saturday, or a junkie to have a "Crackless" Wednesday? I realize everything has to have starting point, but, how about just encouraging everyone to eliminate the scourge of eating meat from our society? Meat is the worst thing for health that many people put in their bodies. It is incredibly wasteful of natural resources. It is inconceivably cruel to the life forms we brutally murder for our own pleasure. Where is the upside? Oh yeah, it tastes good.
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  2. NicolaFeb 14, 2011 03:10 PM
    Funny comment about crackless Wednesdays but here's the deal. If the whole world (or at least the high meat consuming Developed countries) were to reduce their meat consumption by one day a week, the savings on GHG emissions would be enough to curb global warming. It is simply the easiest and fastest way to reduce emissions. A meat free world would be ideal but our civilization has unfortunately not evolved yet to a level of compassion for all living things.
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