Resolution 130749

..Title Proclaiming that the City of Philadelphia recognizes the benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables, and urges residents to participate in "Meatless Mondays" to improve their health and decrease their carbon footprint. ..Body WHEREAS, In 2008, Mayor Michael Nutter pledged to make Philadelphia the Greenest City in America; and WHEREAS, In 2010, following the creation of the Greenworks program, the United States Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center and the Siemens Corporation presented Philadelphia with the Siemens Sustainable Community Award for a Large Community; and WHEREAS, According to the United Nations, "Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems," and the livestock sector is responsible for about 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide; and WHEREAS, More than 1.7 billion animals are used in livestock production worldwide; and the production of livestock occupies one-third of the world's arable land; and WHEREAS, A plant-based diet has been demonstrated to use fewer resources and cause less pollution than a meat-based diet; and WHEREAS, According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Americans consume 195 pounds of meat a year, which is 60 pounds of meat more than they consumed in the 1950s; and WHEREAS, More than two-thirds of American adults and nearly one-third of American children and teens are overweight and obese; and WHEREAS, Of the ten largest cities in the United States, Philadelphia has the highest rates of obesity and diabetes; and WHEREAS, According to the Philadelphia Department of Health, in 2008, 64% of Philadelphia's adults and 57% of Philadelphia's children between ages 6 and 11 were overweight or obese; and nearly 70% of children in North Philadelphia were overweight or obese; and WHEREAS, Health disparities exist, and African-Americans and Hispanics are at a higher risk of diseases linked to poor diet; and WHEREAS, The American Dietetic Association recognizes that a vegetarian diet decreases the risk for a variety of health issues including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and various cancers; and WHEREAS, "Meatless Monday," which was founded in 2003 and is a non-profit initiative associated with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, encourages people to try food alternatives other than meat at least one day a week; and WHEREAS, "Meatless Monday" is supported by the Humane League, the Clean Air Council, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and WHEREAS, The Baltimore City Public School District; the Los Angeles Unified School District; the Miami-Dade County School District; the City of Los Angeles; the District of Columbia; Montgomery County, Maryland; Villanova University; Yale University; and Temple University, and other school districts, universities, cities, and counties have adopted a "Meatless Monday" policy; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the City of Philadelphia recognizes the benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables and urges residents to participate in "Meatless Monday." FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to representatives of the Humane League as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body. ..End