Bring your own plate and get ready for a feast as youth striking for climate launch a Meatless Monday Campaign.
The young organizers are urging residents of the capital region district (CRD) to give up meat one day a week in order to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They’re hosting the first Meatless Monday Potluck at the CRD Commons Room April 29 at 5:30 p.m.
READ ALSO: School students to strike with walkout starting at the legislature
“Like so many youth across the country, I am deeply concerned about my future, and what will happen if we don’t start to act more urgently on climate change,” said Emma-Jane Burian from Our Earth, Our Future. “I worry about the impact that not meeting our Paris targets will cause. For as we see from scientists, we have only 10 to 11 years to turn this ship around.”
Having a Meatless Monday every week for a year reduces an individual’s carbon footprint by 416 pounds. The youth have calculated that if the whole region (413,406 residents as of 2018) stopped eating meat on Mondays, the CRD would reduce its carbon footprint by 171,976,896 pounds. That’s equivalent to reducing 78,007 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
“Since most governments aren’t taking climate change seriously, we need to lower the carbon footprint one small step at a time,” said Rebecca Wolf Gage, 12, a leader in the region’s climate strikes.
c.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca
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