Why Paul McCartney Wants Me to Eat My Veggies

Something I've been waiting for my entire life has just happened. I've been a huge Beatles fan for decades and, in fact, my very first display of activism was not on behalf of a cause, but on behalf of them. When I was 12, I was so obsessed with the Fab Four that I cut out advertisements for their new movie Let It Be from the local newspapers and tacked them up on every telephone pole within a mile of my house to do my part to help promote the film -- determined I could make a difference.

Okay, I digress. My lovely assistant, Dawn, just said to me, "Laurie, Paul McCartney's on the phone." After I retrieved my jaw from the floor, I picked up the phone and heard the trademark Liverpudlian accent: "Hello Laurie, it's Paul." I immediately told him I'd often dreamed of hearing those exact words. He laughed and got right down to business. He wanted to talk about vegetarianism and the environment, an important link he feels is being overlooked in the global warming discussion. Paul loves the Buddhist principle often cited by the Dalai Lama that we all must "reduce the pain and suffering of all sentient beings." Paul's own vegetarianism started 30 years ago, "simply out of compassion for animals." But it has become increasingly clear that there are other issues equally as compelling, including personal health and the impact our meat-eating ways have on the environment.

Vegetarians are often treated as a fringe group. "People think vegetarians are weirdos," Paul said, "but they aren't actually, and as time goes by they seem less and less weird." Paul then cited some pretty shocking statistics from a 2006 UN report entitled ""Livestock's Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options." which backed up his concerns about factory farms, overgrazing, and water pollution.

The report found that 18 percent of global warming emissions come from raising cows, chickens, pigs, turkeys and other animals we eat. That's 40 percent more than all the world's cars, SUVs, airplanes, and other modes of fossil-based transportation, which combined account for 13 percent. For further comparison, every house, residential and office building in the world accounts for just 8 percent.

The UN report details how 70 percent of the Amazon rain forests have been cut down for grazing, and fully one-third of the planet's arable land is now used for growing feed for livestock. The UN predicts that global meat production will more than double by 2050 to keep pace with increasing demand.

Paul also talked about a big trend happening in Europe called "Meat Reducers" where, along with recycling and not taking plastic bags, people are eating meat at least one day less a week. A simple thing everyone can do to lower their own carbon footprint.

I made my pledge right there on the phone; I am now a meat reducer. But if Paul wants me to go all vegan, he'll have to take me out to dinner to discuss it.

Comments

[loril]

If more of us were raised with the example of a vegetarian diet, it would become more natural to our culture. I grew up in the 1970s and 80s. My parents were probably more progressive than most and my mother had a cancer scare. So, we were not quite as heavy on the meat as many during that era. However, I remember a lot of meat laden dinners despite all. Back in the day, it was considered very healthy to drop "regular meat" once a week in favor of fish.

I am not a vegetarian (my main stumbling block, believe it or not is pepperoni pizza...love it!). But I have cut back dramatically on meat intake ever since I moved out on my own. My first motive was financial. Meat is expensive. It also tends to be wasteful when you are cooking for one. During my single gal days, I leaned heavily toward salads, rice and bean dishes and baked potatoes.

My husband further encouraged me, as he is also not a big meat eater. Now that we are parents, we do not want our daughter to over consume meat because of the additives included and the possible health effects.

This is a long winded way of saying that, over time, reducing meat has become a natural way of life for me. I think it could for many more people if they gave it a try. There really are many vegetarian dishes that are quite filling and delicious. And, after cutting back, you find that your system does not react as well when you do eat a lot of meat.

[OldSchoolLiberal]

I happen to be a vegetarian as well and increasingly love it. BUT

Paul sounds a bit wierd, calling people up out of the blue and preaching veggie.

I have seen pictures of him coming out of well known meat-serving restaurants. I suppose he calls in advance and makes sure that all meat products are taken out of his ingredients.

Does Paul wear leather? Just curious.

I hate the idea of eating meat. It happens to all veggies at some point, a hamburger starts to seem like a rat sandwich with pus sauce.

So I support this lifestyle but I do wonder if everyone became veggie and refused to use leather what ould the animal population look like.

[Pquilson]

Sooooooo, Paul McCartney, a wonderful musician whom i have admired for decades, has now become a dietician?
Reduced meat eating? Been doing that for years! I also like fish and poultry, for example.
What I do not understand is, if we human beings stopped eating beef, turkey, chickens, pigs, how does that stop their flatulence? I do not believe that food is the only thing bovines are raised for. Ever hear of leather? Been around for a few years, now, it's in all the papers.
Of course, I have come to expect this kind of drivel from the left coast.
By the way, carbon dioxide is not a greenhouse gas. We need it to live.
Fire away!

[Jonahson]

Goodness gracious! You become a vegetarian because your idol told you to do so? This is a first to me.
There are many reasons for being a vegetarian.
Let's start with the Indians.
Pure Jains are the perfect vegetarians. They refrain from consuming meat because of compassion to all beings. Not only towards animals but also towards insects. They cover their mouth for fear of accidentally inhaling insects and sweep the floor in front of where they will walk for fear of stepping on them. They also are avant-garde nature protectors, they do not eat seeds that are not abundant or consume plant that germinate without seeds such as onions, garlic etc. to prevent extinction of those plants.
Then there are the holy man and ascetics who refrain from eating meat and killing because the body feels lighter making it easier to meditate.
Then there are those occasional vegetatians especially on every Wednesday, Friday and their deity's holy days because they think it will help purify their soul.
Next comes those advance Taoist pratitioners who for fear of karma refrain from eating meat. Also think that it can purify their soul.
We come to the Buddhist who practice the Way of the Bodhisatvas who refrain from meat out of pure compassion knowing that other beings have feelings too and also fear suffering.
Those who practice the Teachings of the Elders refrain from eating meat to reduce the craving for meat. They are allowed to eat meat only from food obtained from alms even that, they must have mindfulness not to get attached to certain taste.
To cut it short many Western people also refrain from meat due to compassion and also for health reason. Some peple just don't like the taste of blood even when cooked.
Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin and even Adolf Hitler are said to be vegetarians for their own reasons.
Hope this little piece of information is not too boring for those who happen to read it.

[charlot]

Contrary to popular belief, we, as primates (just like gorillas), are not meant to be carnivores. It is very easy, especially in America today, to adopt a vegetarian diet. It is better for our bodies, it is better for the animals (duh!) and it is better for the environment. I am pleased to see that more people are going that route, and I hope the trend continues.

[RobinLandseadel]

I'm already vegetarian, but if Paul sees to it that "Carnival of Light" finally gets a public release, I'll go vegan.

You don't have to twist my arm all that hard anyway, ya know. . .

[rini]

Eating meat may be "natural," but factory farming is not. We live in a crowded world with almost seven billion people. Like it or not, we cannot live the way we used to. If everyone eats meat on a daily basis the toll will be too high.

Not too mention, have you seen what happens in these farms?.....sad and disgusting.

[nisha]

I think it's age related as well, and that one can do better with less animal protein as one gets older. Eating beef is likely the most wasteful and harmful all around, but eating dairy products probably isn't. Good PR for Sir Paul, too.