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Meat's bad for the planet say protesters... at Smithfield
Danny Brierley, Evening Standard11.08.08
Environmentalists today scaled Smithfield meat market to highlight the alleged links between climate change and eating animals.
Six members of Climate Camp climbed onto the roof of the Victorian buildings in the City of London and unfurled a banner that read, "Fight Climate Change - Go Vegan".
The group wants more people to choose a vegan diet, which excludes all animal products including meat, eggs and dairy, because they say it can reduce climate-altering emissions.
The protest lasted about two hours. The demonstrators were brought down by the fire brigade. Clare Whitney, one of the activists, said: "An animal-based diet is no longer sustainable with climate change threatening the planet, its ecosystems, and the people who depend on them."
No arrests were made. However, 100 were arrested and 46 charged at the Camp for Climate Action in fields near Kingsnorth power station in Hoo, Kent, it was revealed today.
Assistant Chief Constable Gary Beautridge said the majority of arrests at the week-long protest were for obstruction but that a number of people at the camp were arrested for more serious offences such as possessing bladed instruments. He said: "While there were those who were sensible and responsible there were also those intent on breaking into the power station to shut it down."
Reader views (2)
According to the UN's 2007 report "Livestock's Long Shadow", annual global methane emissions from livestock (which feeds a non-vegan diet) exceed 85 million tonnes. I'd say that's an industrial quantity of foul-smelling gas, wouldn't you?
- Go Vegan, Manchester, UK
I have always understood the vegan diet to involve the expelling of industrial quantities of foul smelling gas from the rear end. Have these protesters considered the appalling consequences of the whole world adopting their diet?
- Ron, UK
