Press Releases from the EVU

Go Veggie to save the Planet, says European Vegetarian Union

22nd April 2005 - 35th Celebration of Earth Day

The European Vegetarian Union is taking the opportunity of the 35th celebration of Earth Day*) to stress the overriding importance of environmental conservation and ecological balance for the human species and, indeed, for all life on earth.

"For us, vegetarian nutrition is a decisive factor in any discussion about safeguarding natural resources and the environment," explains Guido Barth, press officer of the European Vegetarian Union.

The amount of land required to grow plant foods for direct human consumption is far less than the area needed for meat production and associated feed crops. The devastating waste of resources inherent in the industrial production of meat is clear from a study at Cornell University showing that the animal feed crop in the US alone would be sufficient to provide the 800 million hungry people in the world with enough nutritious food to survive. (Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.**)

Yet instead of acting upon this knowledge to improve the situation, meat production is still increasing rapidly, and hand in hand with that increase comes the demand for ever more land to grow feed crops when that very land is under threat from erosion and desertification and the destruction of entire landscapes.

The time has come to break out of this vicious circle and accord to environmental protection the crucial importance that it must have. The European Vegetarian Union believes firmly that a vegetarian lifestyle is the only realistic means to this end. It is not just up to date but nutritionally healthy and environmentally sound, and thus ideal to safeguard the future of our planet.

Guido Barth
Press Officer, European Vegetarian Union
Rampenstraße 11
D 30449 HANNOVER
guido.barth@european-vegetarian.org

*)Thirty-five years ago, the first Earth Day was celebrated by more than 20 million people. Today a world-wide network has grown up with more than 12,000 organisations in 174 countries and half a billion people taking part in this event.

**)"Water Resources: Agriculture, the Environment and Society",Bioscience 42: 97-106


Link: Earth Day Yahoo
Link: picture: ...Wall at the US Embassy in Bangkok to Celebrate Earth Day