For Immediate Release:
December 20, 2007

Nashville, Tenn. - This week, PETA sent a letter to all the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates--including Sen. Fred Thompson--explaining that a 10-cent-per-pound "sin" tax on meat could go a long way in protecting the environment, reducing health-care costs, and adding dollars to the U.S. Treasury. PETA points out that meat is the leading cause of global warming--according to a 2006 United Nations report, the meat industry emits 40 percent more global-warming gases than all the cars, trucks, SUVs, Hummers, airplanes, and ships in the world combined--and has been conclusively linked to serious illnesses, including heart disease, some types of cancer, and diabetes. PETA also explains that the meat industry has been getting a free ride while producers of other products that are detrimental to human health and the environment--such as alcohol, tobacco, and gasoline--have been subject to sin taxes for years. PETA suggests to the candidates that they learn more about the issue at TaxMeat.com.

"The environmental and health problems caused by eating meat take a huge bite out of the U.S. budget," says PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich. "Slapping a long-overdue tax on meat would help fight global warming and save countless lives--including animals'."