Welcome to Veggie Day (Donderdag) on Denman Island! Reducing animal product consumption is an easy and important, pro-active step in addressing global climate change, peak oil, and a host of other ecological and health-related concerns…starting on any day of the week is a step in the right direction!

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Here's the Story of Ghent's Donderdag...

Denman Island, BC, Canada is one of many communities around the world inspired by the progressive actions of Ghent, Belgium.

The small city is 30 miles west of Brussels, with a population of around 200,000. In May, 2009, Ghent committed to taking a major step forward in environmental responsibility, setting an example for the rest of the world to follow.

City officials have declared that meat intake is a major contributor to pollution, and say that making one day a week meat-free "is good for the climate, your health and your taste buds." Tom Balthazar, a Ghent city councilor who is backing the initiative, quotes the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), when he says that meat production is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gases.

Ghent's officials have teamed up with Belgium's national vegetarian organization, EVA (Ethical Vegetarian Alternative), and adopted Thursday as a vegetarian day for officials. From September, the city's schools will be making a meat-free meal the "default" option every Thursday. Even a hospital is joining in.

An EVA statement said: "Ghent, in co-operation with the vegetarian organization EVA, is determined to go the extra mile in our common battle against climate change. Other Belgian cities have already shown interest in following Ghent's example."

The city council was persuaded to back the idea when vegetarian chef Philippe van den Bulck served a gourmet banquet at the town hall. Philippe Van den Bulck is an upcoming young chef who has worked in some of the finest restaurants all over the world, including elBulli in Spain, which is considered by many to be the best restaurant in the world.

The city threw a party to celebrate the first veggie day. Recipes were distributed, as well as a list of vegetarian restaurants (Ghent has more vegetarian eateries per capita than London, Paris or Berlin), and demonstrations were given on how to cook a 'green' meal.

"We hope that the university, other institutions, enterprises and other towns will jump on the train," said the director of the local branch of EVA. Other towns in Belgium and the Netherlands are making inquiries; there has even been one from Canada.

"If everyone in Flanders does not eat meat one day a week, we will save as much CO2 in a year as taking half a million cars off the road," said the EVA.

In Taiwan last year, one million people pledged to be vegetarian as part of the effort to reduce carbon emissions and fight global warming.

"More than one million people in Taiwan have pledged to help cut carbon emissions by being a vegetarian. Taiwan's population is about 23 million, and the one million vegetarians would reduce at least 1.5 million tons of carbon emissions in Taiwan in one year.

The Union of NoMeatNoHeat made the announcement during its anti-global warming drive. Many prominent politicians, such as the legislative speaker, the environment minister, and Taipei and Kaohsiung Mayors all pledged to become vegetarians.

The Union said if a person eats only vegetables for a whole year, roughly 1.5 tons of carbon emissions can be cut."

The inspiring initiatives from Taiwan and from the town of Ghent are setting an example for the rest of the world to follow.

According to The Worldwatch Institute,

"The United States and China, which contain 25 percent of the world's population, combine to consume 35 percent of the world's beef, over half of the world's poultry, and 65 percent of the world's pork."

As explained in Kathy Freston's article, Vegetarian is the New Prius,

"For a decade now, the image of Leonardo DiCaprio cruising in his hybrid Toyota Prius has defined the gold standard for environmentalism. These gas-sipping vehicles became a veritable symbol of the consumers' power to strike a blow against global warming. Just think: a car that could cut your vehicle emissions in half - in a country responsible for 25% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions… Last year researchers turned their attention to another gas guzzling consumer purchase… The researchers found that, when it's all added up, the average American does more to reduce global warming emissions by going vegetarian than by switching to a Prius."


For more information on how transitioning to a vegan diet can reduce an individual's impact on the environment and help to bring about the ethical evolution that will lead us into a safe and prosperous future, please see this short, informative video: A Life Connected.


Michael Franti supports Donderdag Veggiedag from EVA-TV on Vimeo.