Politicians in Denmark go vegan to tackle climate change

A group of Danish members of parliament are taking a 22-day vegan challenge.

According to Metro:

Uffe Elbæk, the leader of the Alternative party, stated:

‘No doubt that this will be a huge challenge, but I expect it to be quite a lot of fun as well, and it’ll definitely be to the benefit of the environment. Western food production has an enormous climate footprint. Political action is needed, and I find it important that we, as politicians, take the first steps and begin to ‘walk the talk’.”

Maria Gjerding, the environmental secretary of the Red-Green Alliance party said: 

“We need to take action on both a personal and political level in order to address the serious issues of climate change. Going vegan for 22 days is not going the save the world in itself, but it’s a great opportunity to put focus on Western consumption of animal products and the environmental and animal welfare problems it causes.”

The country has been pushing a move towards plant based protein. Last year, The Danish Council on Ethics, recommended the government implement a climate tax on red meat in an effort to lower red meat consumption and fight climate change.

It's no secret that meat consumption is terrible for the environment - this year on Earth Day (April 22nd) Google changed their logo and recommended choosing plants over meat.

You can get free vegan starter kits from many organisations:

• The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has a free vegan starter kit
• PETA offers a free vegan starter kit
• Mercy for Animals also has a free starter kit
• Friends of Animals has a vegan starter guide
• Action for Animals has a vegan starter pack
• Vegan Outreach has its own free guide to cruelty-free eating