Vegan diet at Oxford City council
The council has unanimously decided to forbid meat from being served at any internal gatherings. The Oxford City Council has decided to solely serve plant-based meals during councillor-only gatherings.
On 20 March 2023, council meeting saw a unanimous vote in favour of outlawing meat. The resolution was put out by Labour Party councillor Paula Dunne and was was brought up due to environmental concerns.
According to Dunne, the UK consumes twice as much meat and dairy as the world average, which is unsustainable on a finite planet since there isn’t enough land to supply this demand.
https://www.surgeactivism.org/articles/oxfordshire-county-council-adopts-plant-based-motion
Modern species extinctions are mostly caused by the rate at which we consume meat and dairy products. At events that the council caters outside the council, both meat and vegan cuisine will still be available.
Oxford council adopts a vegan diet
The Oxford City Council follows the lead of the larger Oxford County Council, which introduced a comparable resolution in 2021 that was put out by Green Party Councillor Ian Middleton.
The council acknowledged that the production of meat and diary products contributes significantly greenhouse gas emissions and global deforestation, and that limiting consumption of these commodities is essential to combating climate change and enhancing health outcomes.
Vegan choices were added to the menus at council events in addition to offering entirely plant-based meals there. The choice caused significant debate, especially form TV host and anti-vegan figure Jeremy Clarkson.
Clarkson called the ideas “utter madness” in March 2022 and added, it’s the concept of it. You can not order. You may be a vegetarian, but that doesn’t mean that everyone else has to be.
The price of meat on the environment
Despite Clarkson’s objections, it might be argued that the council made a same choice in light of the escalating climate problem. At least 14.5% of the world greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to animal husbandry.
Many experts believe that this number has been understated, and some even place it far higher. Deforestation and the loss of biodiversity are two other major causes attributed to livestock husbandry.
Around 91 % fo the Amazon has been destroyed and it is a major factor in the loss of many species.
Source: Surge Activism
