Portland, OR Fights Climate Change with Meatless Monday

Last week, in a unanimous vote by city council members, Portland, OR voted to update its Climate Action Plan to reflect the connection with eating animal products. Introduced in 1993, it now includes a plan to promote Meatless Monday in order to “draw attention to the high carbon footprint of beef and other red meats.” With a list of actionable goals by 2020 that aim to “reshape [citizen’s] relationship with food,” the city plans to encourage plant-based diets, reduce food waste, plant more fruit and nut trees, and support local agriculture. Portland, along with surrounding Multnomah county, were the first joint city/county to put forth a Climate Action Plan, inspiring the enactment of similar legislation across the country. Since then, carbon emissions have dropped 32 percent per capita in the surrounding areas.