Marianne Thieme co-founded the Party for Animals in the Netherlands, a political party with the stated platform that animals are to be treated with respect by humans. She is the leader of the party in the Dutch Parliament.
Ms. Thieme clearly defined what it would mean to the United Kingdom if its citizens adopted a diet with no meat.
Marianne: If everyone in the UK ate no meat for 7 days a week, they would save 91 mega tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Indeed, this would be the same as eliminating all greenhouse gas emissions from 12.5 million households in the UK.
That is half of the UK households. If all British people ate a meat-free diet for 6 days a week, this would create greater carbon savings than removing all the cars off the UK roads, 29 million cars.
If everyone in the UK abstained from eating meat for 5 days a week, they would save 65 megatons CO2 of greenhouse gas emissions.
This would save more than the emissions reductions that would be achieved if the total electricity used in all households in the UK was eliminated.
If all British people ate no meat for 4 days a week, they would save 52 megatons CO2 of greenhouse gas emissions.
This would lead to greater carbon savings than taking 70% of all cars in the UK off the road.
And 3 days no meat would have the same positive effect on reducing greenhouse gas emissions as replacing all household appliances, such as fridges, freezers, dishwashers and washing machines with energy efficient ones, insulating walls, installing double glazing, energy efficient boilers, and thermostats.
