PETA to Interior Department: Hang Our Banner, 'Backyard Grilling Causes Offshore Drilling,' on All New Offshore Rigs

Going Vegan Is the Best Way to Go 'Green,' Says Group

For Immediate Release:
April 15, 2010

Contact:
Ashley Byrne 757-622-7382

Norfolk, Va. -- Today, PETA sent a letter to Robert LaBelle, the Interior Department's deputy associate director for offshore energy and minerals management, urging him to require that all new oil rigs constructed off the eastern U.S. coast feature PETA banners that read, "Backyard Grilling Causes Offshore Drilling. Meat Requires 10 Times More Fossil Fuel Than Vegan Food. Go Green: Go Vegan." PETA is also urging LaBelle to ensure that only vegan food be served on the rigs. The group points out that at a time when Americans have never taken going green so seriously, promoting a healthy, sustainable, animal-friendly vegan diet can offset drilling's negative environmental impact.

"Most Americans may not be ready to live without oil, but with all the delicious vegan options available, it's easy to greatly reduce your carbon footprint by deep-sixing meat and dairy products from your diet," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA's letter to Robert LaBelle, the Interior Department's deputy associate director for offshore energy and minerals management, follows.

April 15, 2010

Robert P. LaBelle
Deputy Associate Director
Offshore Energy and Minerals Management
Department of the Interior
                                   
Dear Mr. LaBelle:

I am writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 2 million members and supporters regarding the recent news that President Obama has approved oil drilling off the coast of the eastern U.S. As much of the public cries foul, it would behoove the Department of the Interior to show that it is working to mitigate the negative environmental effects of drilling. And the best way to do that is by requiring each contractor to hang PETA banners--which would read, "Backyard Grilling Causes Offshore Drilling. Meat Requires 10 Times More Fossil Fuel Than Vegan Food"--from each new offshore oil rig and to provide only vegan meals to workers at each drilling site.

Millions of people are making a concerted effort to decrease their carbon footprint by trading in their SUVs for hybrids or by taking a bus or biking to work. But many people simply aren't aware that they can make the most effective change by ditching meat and dairy products in favor of vegan meals Researchers from the University of Chicago calculated that going vegan is 50 percent more effective in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions than switching from a regular car to a hybrid. One stated that "[h]owever close you can be to a vegan diet and further from the mean American diet, the better you are for the planet."

In addition to destroying the planet, the meat and dairy industries cause untold amounts of animal suffering. Chickens, fish, cows, and pigs feel pain and fear, just as the animals we share our homes with do, yet they are abused in ways that would be illegal if dogs or cats were the victims. Chickens and turkeys have their throats cut while they're still conscious, piglets have their tails and testicles cut off without being given any painkillers, and mother cows have their calves taken away from them almost immediately after birth so that the milk meant for their infants can be sold.

Requiring all drilling contractors to hang PETA's banner from their oil rigs and to serve only delicious, vegan foods on site will spare the lives of countless animals and help educate the public about the most effective way to "go green."

Please contact me to discuss our proposal. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President