For the Planet's Sake, Put Down That Steak

If Sir Paul McCartney had anything to say about your dinner tonight it would be: Hold the beef. And the pork, chicken and fish. The famous advocate of vegetarian living has just launched the Meat Free Monday campaign to get people to spend one day a week supping on veggies — and helping cut down on carbon emissions.

A 2006 U.N. study on climate change pointed a finger at the livestock industry, which is apparently the generator of 18 percent of man-made carbon emissions (Amazonian deforestation for cattle ranching plays a big part). Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, stated last year that eating vegetarian once a week was the "most attractive" way for people to improve their carbon footprints.

High-profile chefs such as Giorgio Locatelli and Yotam Ottolenghi will be backing McCartney’s initiative, and various restaurateurs are featuring vegetarian dishes to highlight the effort. A panoply of other celebrities like Cheryl Crow, Kevin Spacey and Woody Harrelson are lending their support. Once participation swells, the campaign plans to keep track of how many are forgoing their favorite barbecue on Mondays and how much pain their efforts are saving our warming world.