The climate activists of the Animal Rebellion called on people to “bring their tents” to Scunthorpe because they blocked a factory that produces all of McDonald’s iconic beef burgers, producing 3 million burgers a day.
In the early hours of this morning, as many as 100 protesters used trucks, tents, bamboo structures and roofs to blockade the facility from distributing burgers.
Protesters said they will insist until McDonald’s promises to switch to plant-based menus.
agriculture
They encouraged everyone to join the camp to protest against McDonald’s record of destroying the environment, poor working conditions and exploiting animals.
Professor Joey Carter, Emeritus Professor of Geochemistry and Health at the University of Winchester, said: “There is no second chance to avoid climate collapse-we only have one chance to do this.
“We need to fundamentally change our food system. It must start with the meat and dairy industries. Unless we make large-scale systemic changes and switch to a plant-based food system, we will continue to destroy our planet. “
Animal Rebellion is a mass movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience to call for the establishment of a sustainable plant-based food system. It requires McDonald’s to be completely plant-based by 2025.
They have stated that if McDonald’s takes the first step towards achieving this goal by promising to achieve 20% of the plant base within a year, they will end the blockade. However, they say that McDonald’s is just a symbol of the system they are trying to change, that is, the entire livestock industry.
planet
Rose Patterson, spokesperson for Animal Rebellion, said: “We are living in an era where great changes are possible, but our window to respond to the climate crisis is rapidly closing.
“The meat and dairy industry is responsible for 80-90% of Amazon’s deforestation, at least 18% of global emissions, and the exploitation and killing of billions of animals each year.
“In order to save the future of ourselves and our children, we must begin the transition to a plant-based food system.”
Two months ago, the group closed four McDonald’s distribution centers in order to call on the meat and dairy industry to play a role in the climate and ecological emergency, which caused the economic disruption of McDonald’s supply chain, and then lodged this protest.
According to the 2019 EAT Lancet report, if we want to feed 10 billion people and stay within the planet, we need Reduce consumption of red meat and milk by 90 Percentage by 2050.
crisis
A 2018 study on the environmental impact of food production-the most comprehensive study of its kind-found A plant-based food system can reduce farmland usage by 76% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49% compared to current global levels.
In addition, independent think tanks Rethink X It is estimated that by 2035, 90% of jobs in the US meat and dairy industry will disappear.
Harley McDonald Eckersall from Animal Rebellion said: “As the industry quickly transitions to more sustainable options, we can predict a similar impact in the UK.
“Not giving up on animal husbandry will mean economic and social losses, because we will see millions of people unemployed in the next decade.
“These people are people with real lives-McDonald’s has the responsibility to make this change before the right to choose is taken away from them.”
Currently, the government and agriculture have no plans to turn UK agriculture to net zero by 2050. However, if chains like McDonald’s take on the responsibility of responding to the global climate crisis, we can begin to move in the right direction.
This author
Brendan Montague is EcologistThis article is based on a press release from Animal Rebellion. Join the rebellion and call for a more sustainable food system, Visit the Animal Rebellion website.
