In Brussels, Paul McCartney says late wife inspires him in vegetarian
3 December 2009
Paul McCartney told the European Parliament Thursday that the world needs to change its eating habits to stop global warming.
"This isn't just me, a vegetarian, banging on: it was a United Nations report, Livestock's Long Shadow, that got me interested," the Press Association quoted the former Beatle.
"Since then there been many more studies and I personally think there's an urgent need to do something: the livestock industry produces more greenhouse gases than all forms of transport - cars, plane, trucking - put together.
"We thought cars were the villain of the piece but it appears livestock produces more, not to mention deforestation for grazing, or for growing animal feed - one third of cereal crops are grown for animals."
McCartney also read a statement from former U.S. vice president Al Gore that said, "Meatless Mondays is a responsible and welcome component to a strategy for reducing global pollution."
He told Parliament magazine that his late wife Linda McCartney remains a big inspiration in his vegetarian campaign.
"Yes, there is no doubt that she played and continues to play a big part in it all. We were in it together from the start and I have continued the work," the magazine quoted him. "She was - and remains - a great inspiration in the work I am trying to do now in promoting my campaign to encourage people to eat less meat."
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