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It’s undeniable that animal agriculture
is taking a huge toll on the environment. TIME reported
on the devastating environmental effects of meat production nearly four years
ago, but it continued to be ignored by many.
Although this leading cause of climate
change was swept under the rug for too long, the world’s leaders are starting
to acknowledge this fact that the planet can’t afford us to ignore any longer. Barack
Obama recently remarked on the need for
people to cut back on their meat consumption, and some politicians in Denmark
are taking things many steps further.
A dedicated group of Danish members of
parliament have committed to following a 22-day vegan challenge. If that sounds
familiar, that is a similar challenge to the one that Beyoncé
famously completed. It’s long been thought that it takes 21
days to form a new habit, so it makes
sense that there would need to be at least 22 days set aside to get used to new
eating habits.
Politicians from the Red-Green Alliance party
and the Alternative party are joining together to say good-bye to animal
products for just over three weeks to bring attention to the devastating damage
that intensive animal farming is doing to the world.
According to Metro,
Uffe Elbæk, the leader of the Alternative party, stated, ‘No doubt that this
will be a huge challenge, but I expect it to be quite a lot of fun as well, and
it’ll definitely be to the benefit of the environment. Western food production
has an enormous climate footprint. Political action is needed, and I find it
important that we, as politicians, take the first steps and begin to ‘walk the
talk’.”
Maria Gjerding, the environmental
secretary of the Red-Green Alliance party said, “We need to take action on both
a personal and political level in order to address the serious issues of
climate change. Going vegan for 22 days is not going the save the world in
itself, but it’s a great opportunity to put focus on Western consumption of
animal products and the environmental and animal welfare problems it causes.”
VeganerUdfordringen
is the Denmark-based campaign that encourages people to go vegan for at least
22 days.
If you want to follow the lead of these
courageous politicians, there has never been an easier time to go vegan. You
can find substitutions for any favorite traditional dish. Also, you can get
free vegan starter kits.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine has a free vegetarian starter
kit. (It’s vegan.)
PETA offers a free
vegan starter kit.
Mercy for Animals also has a free
starter kit.
Friends of Animals has a vegan
starter guide.
Action for Animals has a vegan
starter pack.
Vegan Outreach has its own free
guide to cruelty-free eating.
Many other publications and organizations
offer help with going vegan, too. All the help and support you may need to make
the vegan transition is available online.
