The parliamentarians have signed a statement of support for the Million Dollar Vegan campaign, which encourages people to fight climate change with diet change
LONDON, UK, Wednesday 27 February 2019: As a result of recent research which details the devastating effects of animal agriculture on our planet and the environment, 40 Members of European Parliament (MEPs) have declared their support for the Million Dollar Vegan campaign – including UK MEPs Catherine Bearder and John Flack. The campaign is asking members of the public to try a vegan diet for Lent, in an effort to raise awareness and take action against climate change. Coordinated by German MEP Stefan Eck, the statement has been signed buy MEPs from 17 countries across the EU, and from seven of the eight European parliamentary groups.
Million Dollar Vegan has recently made headlines all over the world with their offer of $1 million to a charity of Pope Francis’s choice, if he decides to try vegan for Lent. The face of the campaign is 12-year-old Genesis Butler, who contacted the Pope in an open letter backed by scientists and celebrities such as Paul McCartney, Woody Harrelson, Moby and Chris Packham, and also visited the Vatican last week. The campaign is encouraging people all over the world to take the pledge and reduce their CO2 emissions by choosing a plant-based diet for the period of Lent.
Removing animal products from our diets is the single most effective thing we can do as individuals to reduce our impact on the planet. Each person that choses to participate in the Million Dollar Vegan pledge will save emissions equivalent to that of a flight from London to Berlin, according to Oxford University researcher Joseph Poore.
MEP Stefan Eck, who has been coordinating this joint statement together with Million Dollar Vegan, states: "In order to at least somewhat mitigate the climate catastrophe ahead of us, we must use every opportunity to reduce emissions that are harmful to the climate. This also means that we must change our diet. Million Dollar Vegan is doing a fantastic job of raising awareness about this important issue. I sincerely hope that hundreds of thousands of people will join this campaign and chose a vegan diet, not just for the protection of our planet, but also for the animals, and for a more just and safe food system."
The supporting Members of the European Parliament come from different parliamentary parties and countries, but are united in their mission to speak out against climate change.
The statement reads as follows: "We, the undersigned Members of the European Parliament, express our concern about the danger of climate change and environmental destruction. We therefore support Million Dollar Vegan and Genesis Butler’s attempts to raise awareness for this issue and fight climate change with diet change."
The parliamentarians support the idea of choosing Lent, which starts on March 6th, as a timely period to give a plant-based diet a chance:
The statement continues: "Abstaining from animal products for the 40-day-period of Lent, or for any other occasion, makes a difference for the planet and the footprint we each leave on the Earth."
See the full statement here.
Million Dollar Vegan has produced a Vegan Starter Kit – written in multiple languages and with country-specific content – which is available to download for free at www.MillionDollarVegan.com. It contains helpful information about following a vegan diet, including nutrition advice, recipe sites, vegan products, inspiring books and films, and the best places to eat out. Since the campaign launched on February 6th, thousands of people have already downloaded the Starter Kit to learn more about a plant-based diet.
A major report published by the UN in 2018 warned there are just 12 years to limit a climate change catastrophe, with drastic measures needed urgently to keep global warming to a maximum of 1.5C. Research from Oxford University has shown that a plant based diet is the single biggest way to minimise our environmental impact.
The full statement undersigned by 40 members of the European Parliament can be found here.
Interviews with Million Dollar Vegan spokespeople available on request.
Full version of the letter from Genesis Butler, images and videos are available to download here.
Million Dollar Vegan is a non-profit campaign, launched by Veganuary founders Matthew Glover and Jane Land. Its mission is: to fight climate change with diet change; to draw attention to the suffering of farmed animals; to demonstrate the relationship between animal agriculture and world hunger, deforestation and species loss; and to show how our health can be impacted by the foods we choose to eat. We are asking influential world leaders and those that look up to them to acknowledge the far-ranging effects of eating animal products and to consider the billions of people and animals who suffer consequentially. We aim to inspire people to make more conscious, sustainable and benevolent choices, to turn their attention to the abundance of plant-based foods available to them, and to adopt a plant-based diet.
Further details about the impact of animal agriculture on global warming and climate change can be found at the Million Dollar Vegan website. Research from Oxford University that shows being vegan is the ‘single biggest thing’ we can do to reduce our environmental impact is published here.
Genesis Butler went vegan at the age of six and convinced her whole family to go vegan. She has taken part in hundreds of demos and marches against industries that exploit animals, such as circuses, rodeos, and amusement parks. She became the youngest TEDx speaker when she delivered her speech entitled, "A 10 Year Old's Vision for Healing the Planet", where she discusses animal agriculture and the negative impact it has on the planet.
Genesis recently founded her non-profit organisation, Genesis for Animals, which raises funds for animal sanctuaries around the world. She is featured in several documentaries including The Invisible Vegan, Vegan: Everyday Stories, and Corky. She is also featured in the documentary Cesar Chavez: Respect for All, where she learns about the activism of her great uncle, Cesar Chavez.
Genesis has won several awards for her activism, including the 2018 Lisa Shapiro Youth Animal Activist of the Year, PETA's Young Hero to Animals award, and was recently recognised by Social Compassion in Legislation for her work lobbying for animals at the California State Capitol. Genesis speaks regularly at both vegan and non-vegan events about the benefits of veganism and the importance of having compassion for all species.
Paul McCartney, Moby, Woody Harrelson, Mena Suvari, Chris Packham, Joaquin Phoenix, George Monbiot, Benjamin Zephaniah, Jay & Katya Wilde, Evanna Lynch, Peter Egan, Oli Sykes, Derek Sarno, Earthling Ed, Captain Paul Watson, Joseph Poore (Oxford University), Dr Neal Barnard MD, Dr Caldwell Esselstyn MD, and many more.
