“Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” — Albert Einstein

“Vegetarian as a general concept is a brilliant thing. We've got to stop eating so much meat. We are eating too much meat.” — Jamie Oliver

“If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.” — Paul McCartney

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” — Mahatma Gandhi

“Now at last I can look at you in peace; I don't eat you anymore.” — Franz Kafka (Novelist)

“When we eat vegetarian foods, we needn't worry about what kind of disease our food died from; this makes a joyful meal!” — John Harvey Kellogg, M.D.

“Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends.” — George Bernard Shaw

“We don't need to eat anyone who would run, swim, or fly away if he could.” — James Cromwell

“I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.” — Stephen Grellet

“If you knew how meat was made, you'd probably lose your lunch.” — K.D. Lang

“To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana.” — Buddha

“The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men.” — Leonardo da Vinci

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” — Mark Twain

“Sympathy for the animals is one of the noblest virtues with which man is endowed.” — Charles Darwin

“I did not become a vegetarian for my health, I did it for the health of the chickens.” — Isaac Bashevis Singer

Adopting a plant based diet is one of the simplest, cheapest and most effective ways to reduce your eco footprint.

According to the UN, livestock production is responsible for more greenhouse gases than all of the world's transport combined. It is also one of the leading contributors to all of the most pressing environmental problems including species extinction, deforestation, land degradation, pollution of soil and waterways, and scarcity of fresh water.

If all Australians went meat-free for just the one week, we'd save the GHG emissions equivalent to 31,500 road trips from Sydney to Melbourne in a Prius. And that's the savings from cows alone!

Next: The Animals »

Going veg is the most powerful way to oppose animal cruelty. If all Australians went meat-free for just one week, we could spare almost 10 million animals from life in a factory farm!

Few could look through the doors of a factory farm and not cringe at the grim reality that pigs and chickens face every day. While they may endure the worst cruelty, sadly other animals raised for food are not guaranteed a life free from suffering either. Sheep and cattle routinely endure surgical procedures without pain relief, such as castration, tail amputations, and dehorning. Ultimately all animals raised for food face the stress and cramped conditions of transport and fear in their last moments at the slaughterhouse.

All Aussies can be lifesavers for the 41,000 adult sheep, 56,000 cows, 123,000 pigs, 211,000 lambs, and 9,000,000 chickens who are typically killed for human consumption each week.

Next: Take the pledge »