Foregoing meat forever may seem like a daunting task, particularly for your average carnivore. But most people could probably handle seven days without hot wings or pepperoni pizza. Enter Compassion Over Killing's Veg Pledge, a nationwide campaign to go meatless that kicks off on April 21.
As of now, four Broward County cities have issued proclamations in support of Veg Pledge. Plus, Florida Congressman Ted Deutch is on board. The idea is to educate folks on the health, environmental and ethical benefits of plant-based eating.
See also:City of South Miami Passes Meatless Monday Resolution
Participating cities thus far include Pompano Beach, Lauderhill, Fort Lauderdale and Hallandale Beach, says campaign volunteer and local animal advocate Jennifer Mennuti.
The proclamations basically encourage residents to explore plant-based options for the duration of the week, citing health and environmental issues.
Nationally, lots of other pols and cities are on board, including the ever-popular Senator (and Twitter whiz) Cory Booker, Representative Henry Waxman and Representative Mark Takano.
One senator who gave COK's Veg Pledge a try awhile back has remained a vegetarian ever since, says Mennuti. While they don't necessarily expect those kinds of results on the regular, the idea behind the effort is to educate South Floridians and create more veg-friendly options at local eateries.
"We want people to realize why this is important. They care about the environment, they want to help, they're worried about climate change and they think they're going to change their lightbulbs or drive a Prius. They don't realize that livestock is a huge contributor to environmental issues. If they reduce amount of meat they eat they can do a lot more to help the environment," Mennuti says.
The volunteer crew is still working on some other cities, including Oakland Park, she adds. Next year they plan to start lobbying earlier and get even more municipalities on board. This comes on the heels of last December's Meatless Monday resolution from the city of South Miami, also inspired by a COK volunteer. The vegan cause is gaining ground, folks.
To finish up the week on a yummy note, an outdoor vegan waffle party is going down at Fort Lauderdale's John Bruno Organic and Vegan Salon on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For $10, you can dig into all-you-can-eat waffles. Guests are just asked to bring some topping options (vegan whipped cream anyone?). You can check out the details on Facebook.
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