February 22, 2010

Dear Producer,

This March, caring people in a thousand communities in all 50 states and two dozen other countries will welcome spring with colorful, educational public events. They will ask their friends and neighbors to “kick the meat habit and explore a wholesome, nonviolent plant-based diet.” The events include festivals, walks, public dinners, cooking demonstrations, food sampling, info tables, and more.

The occasion is the 25th anniversary of the Great American Meatout, the world’s largest annual grassroots diet education campaign. The date, March 20th (the first day of spring), is symbolic of rebirth and renewal. The purpose is to help consumers evolve to a diet of grains, vegetables, and fruits. Please visit www.Meatout.org for more details.

Increased public interest in Meatout reflects these recent developments:

• Jonathan Foer’s “Eating Animals” and two other vegan books have made the bestseller list.
  
  
• Last March, the respected National Cancer Institute reported that people who ate the most red meat were "most likely to die from cancer, heart disease and other causes."
  
  
• Last July, the conservative American Dietetic Association affirmed that “…vegetarian and vegan diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”
  
  
• Reports of meat consumers infected by the deadly E. coli strain continue to accumulate.
  
  
• In last November's issue of World Watch magazine, two World Bank scientists claimed that meat production may account for more than half of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
  
  
• According to U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of animals killed for food in the U.S. in 2009 is expected to have dropped by 6% from 2008.
  

This raises a number of intriguing questions like:

- Why is ‘meat safety’ an oxymoron? Why is meat a prime terrorist tool?

- How do meat and dairy contribute to global warming?

- How can a vegan diet reduce world hunger?

- What are the latest findings on animal products and chronic diseases?

- Why is the vegan food market growing so rapidly?

- Why is a vegan diet so appealing to young people?

- What do vegans eat? (hint: it’s not just carrots and broccoli anymore)

- What are the Meatout events in my community?

Here’s a great opportunity to book prominent, well-informed guests such as:

Alex Hershaft, PhD - National Chair of the Great American Meatout Howard Lyman - vegan author and former cattle rancher Michael Greger, MD or Michael Klaper, MD – experts on diet and health Rick Corbett - prominent young vegetarian leader Click here to view their bios.

A quick e-mail to me at michael@meatout.org or call to 800-632-8688 will get you a great show!

Sincerely, Michael A. Weber, Campaign Coordinator

 

www.Meatout.org 800-MEATOUT 10101 Ashburton Lane Bethesda, MD 20817