Meat Free Monday Petition

We are currently facing unprecedented globala very carbon intensive commodity ...” and “The
warming. Climate Change threatens us all, as individualssingle action that a person can take to reduce carbon
and as a planet. Taiwan is ranked 22nd in the world inemissions is vegetarianism.”
terms of greenhouse gas (ghg) pollution, that’s aIn recent headlines, the city of Ghent in Belgium has
significant 1 % of total global ghg emissions.taken steps to reduce its carbon footprint and has
According to a 2006 report by the United Nation'smade the brave decision to ask its citizens to go
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), entitledmeatless one day a week. Every Thursday is now
Livestock's Long Shadow: The report found thatveggie day.
livestock production produces 18 percent of allDue to the impact that meat has on the environment,
greenhouse gas emissions, including 9 percent of allwe need to reduce our consumption of this carbon
carbon dioxide emissions, 37 percent of methane, andintensive product as an effective solution to the climate
65 percent of nitrous oxide which is approximately 296change crisis. This petition calls for Taiwanese officials
times more potent than CO2 as a global warming gas.to take action now that will show Taiwan’s
A study in 2008 concluded that the production of 2.2commitment to tackling Climate Change.
lbs of beef would cause the same amount of carbonWe urge the government to promote every Monday
emissions as an average European car driving 155as a day when the citizens of Taiwan will abstain from
miles. The amount of energy burnt was enough to lightmeat products in an effort to protect the environment
a 100watt bulb for almost 20 days.and halt global warming.
Nobel Laureate, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, head of theWe call on everyone’s support in expressing to
United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateTaiwanese officials the need for Taiwan to adopt and
Change has stated, “Please eat less meat; meat ispromote a meat free Monday.