Lancashire County Council Tories have rejected a simple proposal from Green County Councillors that would have cut greenhouse gases across the county while at the same time saving the council money.
At the meeting of Lancashire County Council on Thursday 24th September Green County councillor Chris Coates proposed that Lancashire should join the Meat-Free-Mondays campaign and make a modest cut in the amount of meat consumed across the county.
“Across the world, meat production accounts for 18 per cent of harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” Chris claims. “Cutting down by one day a week would have been a simple way of the council helping to combat climate change.”
The proposal – which called on the County Council to review the content of meals provided by County Council services, carry out an information campaign through the media and in schools and to produce a set of affordable meat-free recipes – was defeated by the ruling Conservative Group on the council.
It would seem the Conservatives much-touted claims of anting to reduce public spending do not extend to the dire possibility of losing out on meat dinners in the County Council canteen…
“I’m disappointed at the lack of support for our proposal,” commented Lancaster East Green County Councillor Sam Riches. “Not only would it have helped the planet, but it would have saved money that could have been spent on other services.”