Irish Examiner view: Meat-free Fridays could be a step back for a better future

Catholics reverting to 'Fish For Friday' — or even plant-based meals that day — could have enormous environmental benefits

Cork's Quay Co-op launched a vegetarian/vegan afternoon tea menu yesterday. Coincidentally, a new study suggests environmental benefits if meat-eaters quit meat one day a week. Picture: Marcin Lewandowski

The battle against climate change doesn’t benefit from a single focal point, which underlines the size of the challenge. Rather than a specific action or campaign leading to planetary salvation, dozens of specific choices have to be made by all of us if there is to be any hope of maintaining a liveable world.

One of the more recent calls for action is a case in point, as reported in the Irish Examiner: If the Catholic Church reverted to a meat-free Friday — as was the case for hundreds of years — there would be clear benefits in terms of emissions.