We know many people choose to be vegetarians to stay healthy. Many people also do not.
But what would you do if one day your mayor declared it Veggie Day in the entire town?
The town of Ghent, Belgium, just outside of Brussels, has done just that. They have declared every Thursday “Vegetarian Day” and will offer tips of healthy living and vegetarian recipes for all its citizens, in addition to offering free vegetarian snacks and maps to help find the city’s vegetarian restaurants. They even threw a city-wide party to celebrate the very first Veggie Day, and plan to continue the tradition.
Shouldn’t the choice over what you eat be a personal choice? some would ask. But Ghent city leaders explain that the impacts of abstaining from meat don’t just affect your individual health, but are also good for the climate. One Ghent city councillor says abstaining from meat “is good for the climate, your health and your taste buds.” He also said that meat production is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gases, and thus, if more cities across the world start to follow suit and abstain from meat once a week, it could have a positive impact on the level of pollution and greenhouse gases.
Ghent is the first city in the world to try such an initiative, but could we be seeing American cities try it out next? What do you think: is it a good idea for cities to try going vegetarian?
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