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The meat industry must be really feeling threatened
by the increasing popularity of vegetarianism to resort
to publicly offending vegetarians and branding it "un-Australian"
to eat anything other than lamb on Australia Day ("Red
Blooded Ad to Stay" - The Advertiser 19/1/05).
For so long nutritionists, medical authorities and environmental
experts have attested to the benefits of a vegetarian diet
as opposed to a meat-based one for better health and ecological
sustainability. Indeed, the huge health and environmental
costs associated with meat production and consumption may
suggest exactly the opposite of what the meat industry's
Australia Day advertising campaign would have us think.
Vegetarians do care for the Australia - by lessening
the pressure on both the health system and the Australian
environment. As such, we contend that avoiding eating lamb
and other meats is the most patriotic way to celebrate Australia
Day.
Unlike decades ago when it was considered marginal, vegetarianism
today is not relegated to particular sub-sections of society,
as the advertisement implies. Vegetarians can be found at
every social level - politicians, professionals, teachers,
students, and every other group.
To stereotype vegetarians as "'soap-avoiding, pot-smoking'
hippies " is not only extremely offensive - it's also a
highly misleading, anachronistic and inaccurate claim which
requires a public apology.
Vegetarian Action
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The Advertiser, Friday 21 January,
2005 |
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Let's hear it for vegetarianism
The meat industry must be really feeling
threatened by the increasing popularity of vegetarianism
to resort to publicly offending vegetarians and branding
it "un-Australian" to eat anything other than lamb
on Australia Day.
For so long nutritionists, medical authorities
and environmental experts have attested to the benefits
of a vegetarian diet as opposed to a meat-based one
for better health and ecological sustainability.
Indeed, the huge health and environmental
costs associated with meat production and consumption
may suggest exactly the opposite of what the meat
industry's Australia Day advertising campaign would
have us think. Vegetarians do care for the
Australia by lessening the pressure on both the health
system and the environment.
As such, we contend that avoiding eating
lamb and other meats is the most patriotic way to
celebrate Australia Day.
The Age, Friday 21 January, 2005
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