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Let's be friendsEat Green - cut out the meat for Go Green Week 2010
With Go Green Week 2010 coming up (8 – 12 Feb) loads of groups are planning campaigns and events. Meat Free days are a great way to get everyone thinking about and reducing their carbon 'foodprint'.
A poster for UEA’s Meat Free Day events
Meat & dairy consumption makes up a large part of our carbon footprints. One simple way for individuals and unis cut to their impact on the climate is to raise awareness and help people reduce their consumption. That’s exactly what groups across the country are doing as part of Go Green Week 2010!
Meat Free Days
University of East Anglia students are working with the students union and university catering services to cut down the meat on sale. By persuading the campus bars and restaurants to serve only veggie food and put special offers on veggie options in the shops, students hope to reduce the uni’s carbon foodprint and make more planet-friendly alternatives available.
Over in the West Country, Exeter People & Planet members are also planning to hold a Meat Free Day during Go Green week in the Student Union shops. They’ll be providing information, offering discounts, running a Bring and Share Valentine’s veggie meal and holding a raffle. This is only phase one of their Meat Free Plan as they will be pressuring the university to increase the number of veggie options available. They also plan to spread the scheme across halls and the other university shops and cafes on campus.
Sustainable local food is a one of four key behaviours targetted by Degrees Cooler
Transition Food
Both groups have been running the Going Greener campaign as part of the NUS-led Degrees Cooler programme. Increasing consumption of sustainable, seasonal local food is one of the key areas of carbon reduction being targetted by student groups. Other groups involved in the scheme have been developing food co-ops, Grow Your Own projects and lots of other exciting projects and campaigns.
Work with others
The key to organizing these kind of events is working together with university staff. Catering managers probably won’t be expecting you to get in contact, but you might well find they are really interested in what you are doing. Is there a healthy eating group at your uni? Would the school of medicine be interested? Most unis have environment managers now so make sure they get involved in Go Green Week as well this year.
One day may not seem like much when every other day is business as usual, but Meat Free Days can be used as a springboard to engage students and staff. There are loads of organisations which have extra resources you can call on including training for catering staff.
To see what other P&P groups are up to across the country check out our interactive map. Please let us know what you are planning for Go Green Week 2010.
