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Legendary singer Paul McCartney has called on his 4.9 million Twitter followers to watch environmental documentary Eating Our Way To Extinction.
The 80-year-old Beatles star said that he had recently seen the film, and encouraged others to “give it a look.”
“It explains that what we eat is so important,” he said. “And if we are careful about what we eat, it’s probably the best thing for solving the ecological crisis that we are now in. We want to fix it, so we don’t want to eat our way to extinction. Give the film a watch, I think you’ll enjoy it.”
Eating Our Way To Extinction, which is available to watch for free on the Plant Based News YouTube channel, looks at the environmental cost of animal agriculture.
It’s narrated by actor Kate Winslet, known for her roles in movies like 1997’s Titanic, as well as The Reader and Revolutionary Road, both released in 2008.
Actor and environmentalist Leonardo Dicaprio, Winslet’s Titanic co-star and friend, described it as “the film future generations will be wishing everyone watched today.”
Animal agriculture and the environment
Animal agriculture is responsible for at least 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This figure has been disputed, however, with some estimates putting this figure much higher. Livestock farming is also a leading cause of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion.
Many people, however, are unaware of the impact meat has. While it is well-known that fossil fuel companies are accelerating the climate crisis, the agriculture industry hasn’t achieved the same notoriety.
Eating Our Way To Extinction aims to “open the lid on the elephant in the room no one wants to talk about.” It features interviews with climate scientists and food system experts.
Paul McCartney’s environmentalism
McCartney has become a well-established voice in the environmental movement.
A long-time vegetarian, he regularly supports both ecological and animal rights campaigns.
In November last year, he urged world leaders to join the Plant Based Treaty, an initiative aiming to encourage individuals and governments to transition away from meat toward a more planet-friendly food system.
In a joint statement with his daughters Mary and Stella McCartney, he said: “We believe in justice for animals, the environment and people. That’s why we support the Plant Based Treaty and urge individuals and governments to sign it.”
