Paul McCartney: Go Vegetarian To Save The Planet

Reuters via Yahoo:

Former Beatle Paul McCartney is urging the world to go vegetarian in a bid to fight global warming and is surprised more green groups don't promote it.

In an interview with the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), McCartney said the global meat industry was a major contributor to global warming. A transcript of the PETA interview was given to Reuters.

"The biggest change anyone could make in their own lifestyle would be to become vegetarian," McCartney, a longtime vegetarian and advocate of vegetarianism, said. "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."

McCartney says the amount of land and water used to maintain the meat industry makes it a major contributor to climate change and complains that most environmental groups do not list vegetarianism as one of their top priorities.

Read the whole story: Reuters via Yahoo

Comments

[monsieurjac]

This explains why he hasn't written a good song since he quit smoking cigarettes and eating meat.
He should give up preaching and Get Back-Get Back to writing good songs.

[dora rice]

who cares what this arrogant washed up playboy has to say.

[nclayla]

Well, we care more than we do about everything you say, dora.

[wm1066]

I thought Paul was smarter than this. Not all body types can be veggen.
Mine is one, I tried it and I got really sick.
People with O and B blood types need some meat in thier diet.
He is sounding like an Ideologue.

[nclayla]

Meat - or a really good vitamin supplement made to complement a vegetarian diet.

[michie62]

i hear you, I grew up on a grain farm in Minnesota in the 70's and the ethanol industry is destroying our family farms. Ethanol will soon be on the way out and our food prices will keep getting higher. What will help with the energy crisis is in the ocean. as for Macca, considering what happened to Lennon and Harrison(when he was stabbed), he is brave for flying commercial. And he has been a consistent veggie for over 30 years, way before it was the "thing" to do. I will never go completely veggie, but I do eat a whole lot less meat than when I was kid on the farm. Like Lady Linda McCartney once said, "If the slaughterhouses were made of glass, no one would want to eat meat." I would rather hear about this from a 30 year plus veggie than some stupid 20 something.

[SmootyBooty]

We're so sorry...

[OttoMann]

So many people think things need to be all or nothing. There should be a campaign:

EAT LESS MEAT

I wouldn't expect others to completely give up meat as I have, but just as smoking 4 cigarettes is better than smoking a whole pack, consuming less meat is better (for your body and the environment) than consuming more.

But some people act as if a person has to quit smoking completely, otherwise they may as well continue to smoke a whole pack. Which of course is nonsense. Likewise with being green. Because someone flies in a jet, they shouldn't concern themselves with other conservation efforts? By that logic, no one should say anything about conservation, because we've all sinned green....

[nclayla]

Eating less meat is better - every bit helps!

[Ichor]

What a hypocrit! Talking down to the little people about how they should live to save the planet. He, of course, lives in a 3-bedroom bungalow and flies economy. I would hazard a guess that his private jet is more damaging to the environment on a single flight than a life time of meat eating for the common joe. Lead by example, Paulo. The speck of dust in my eye should be less visible than the log in yours.

[grailknight]

Indeed! Sir Paulie on tour shuttles in his own private airliner from a regional base while on tour to other cities. For example, he'll stay in a hotel in LA and fly out for a show in Phoenix or to Frisco. That's a lot of carbon emission. As for the moral superiority of vegan over onmivore, is simply a load of bovine pie! When Sir Paulie picks that tomato or pepper from his garden, he is killing a living being! Do good works Paulie, but don't snuff out my barbecue!

[tompoe]

Did he mention the corn crop has been industrialized, and unsuitable for eating, unless processed? I live in the middle of the corn fields, and am drowning in corn, with corn on the cob at $4 a dozen or more during the harvest. None of it is local.

[tkondaks]

Actually, Paul makes a point of NOT having his own private jet and, indeed, flies commercial.
If he uses a private jet during tours, well then, we can assume that the jet is full of people, so it is being used as efficiently as a private jet can (as opposed to just shuttling one body around).
But his point is well made: as was pointed out in the article, the UN Report said that global-war­ming-creat­ing emissions from the livestock industry are worse than those from transportation.
It makes me think: people could, if they had to, switch from meat-eating to vegetarian overnight without too much of a negative effect on the economy (and a very positive effect on their health); yet to overnight try and change people's driving and flying habits is next to impossible. People aren't going to stop driving or travelling...but they could start eating vegetarian!

[nclayla]

And, Ichor, just want are you doing?