Farm leader dismisses McCartney’s meat-free campaign

A CAMPAIGN launched in Britain by former Beatle Paul McCartney to go vegetarian once a week to help combat global warming has been dismissed as nonsense by a farm leader in Ireland.

McCartney, his daughters, Stella and Mary, and a host of stars want people to consider giving up meat on Mondays.

The aim of the campaign, called “Meat Free Mondays,” which has already been launched in the US and Australia, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the world’s livestock population.

However, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association general secretary Eddie Punch said the campaign in Britain is driven by militant vegetarianism masquerading as concern for the environment.

“In addressing climate change issues it is time for clear thinking rather than ill-informed propaganda,” he said.

Mr Punch said the use of celebrity influence to promote militant vegetarianism is clearly flawed when the real evidence is examined.

“Ageing pop stars, noted for their conspicuous consumption and wasteful jet setting, are hardly best placed to lecture ordinary meat-eating folk on how to change their lifestyle patterns in order to save the planet,” he said.

McCartney, who was joined by Yoko Ono, wife of fellow Beatle John Lennon, at last week’s campaign launch in London, thinks otherwise.

“I thought this was a great idea. To just reduce your meat intake maybe by one day a week and this would seriously benefit the planet,” he said at the launch.

His late wife Linda, who died of breast cancer in 1998, was a noted vegetarian campaigner and a range of meat-free dishes bearing her name are still being sold.

“I think many of us feel helpless in the face of environmental challenges, and it can be hard to know how to sort through the advice about what we can do to make a meaningful contribution to a cleaner, more sustainable, healthier world,” said the former Beatle.

“Having one designated meat-free day a week is actually a meaningful change that everyone can make, that goes to the heart of several important political, environmental and ethical issues all at once,” he said.

However, Mr Punch said recommendations on global eating patterns are probably best left to science.

He said climate change experts believe that improved grassland management is the single largest abatement lever to greenhouse gases in agriculture.