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| This is the first of an occasional series on initiatives in other countries that are similar to the Veggie Thursday campaign in SG. These initiatives often go by different names and highlight different days of the week, but the goals are the same: to encourage people to move towards a wiser diet by going veggie once a week. |
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The Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. is famous for its medical school, hospital and school of public health. They even have a presence in SG: http://www.imc.jhmi.edu
In 2003, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health based in Maryland, USA started a Meatless Monday (MM) campaign. The initiative was originally created by the School’s Center for a Livable Future: http://www.jhsph.edu/clf
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| One example of how canteens at Johns Hopkins spread the idea of MM (since Lee Kuan Yew no longer uses this acronym, others are welcome to it ☺) is the use of posters hung on the walls encouraging patrons to change their eating habits. "Don't be a chicken! It's Meatless Monday!" a cartoon chicken on one of the posters says. |
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Here’s what one student said about MM posters, "I saw the signs in the dining hall and definitely considered it. Having the information right there is really helpful. For those who walk into the dining halls unsure of what to eat, the Meatless Monday reminders can be very effective," sophomore Rachel Sarcevic-Tesanovic said.
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Environmental reasons for eating more veggies are also highlighted: "A recent UN report states that nearly 18 percent of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere originate from meat animals," Lawrence said. "I personally think both messages are really important. The health message is powerful and very appealing but with climate change being so important right now, it provides an incentive for many more to get involved."
Meatless Monday does not eliminate the meat options from the menu; it simply highlights the vegetarian alternatives. "People are consuming 220 pounds of meat per capita per year, and that number has been increasing," Lawrence said. "Eventually, I'd be happy to see Americans reduce their meat consumption by 15, 30, 40 percent."
Hopkins realises that it's a matter of both demand and supply. Education about why to eat more veggies creates demand; then, food providers, such as school canteens, need to provide the tasty supply. As one Hopkins student leader, Raychel Santo put it, "The more options people have, and the more of those that they realize are meatless, the more successful Meatless Monday will be". |
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