Long Beach City Council Approves 'Meatless Mondays,' But Not Everyone's On Board
LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Long Beach's City Council has approved a resolution in support of "Meatless Mondays," an effort to voluntarily go vegetarian at least once a week.
The resolution does not make it illegal to eat meat on Monday but is part of an international campaign urging people to cut down on meat consumption for health and environmental reasons.
"To take it as an opportunity to choose if they want to try something different on Mondays," Suzie Price of the Long Beach City Council said. "Why not give it a shot?"
Nearly everyone at the meeting showed support for the proclamation, but the most effective speaker, according to KCAL9's Peter Daut, was 8-year-old Genesis Butler, a vegan.
"It makes much more sense to urge people to limit eating meat," Butler said. "Did you know it takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat?"
Those against the resolution worry about the impact on local businesses that sell meat.
"I just don't think city government really should be in the business of telling people and making proclamations based on preferences," Stacy Rose Mungo of the Long Beach City Council said.
The council voted 7-2 in support of "Meatless Mondays."
Butler says she hopes people will take it seriously.
Long Beach will now join other "Meatless Monday" cities including Los Angeles and San Francisco.
