Res No 259-13-14077RESOLUTION NO. 259-13-14077
A Resolution in support of "Meatless Mondays"
WHEREAS, South Miami residents have created the Southwest Community
Farmer's Market to encourage healthy and sustainable eating; and support designated bike
lanes; and South Miami is a member of the Green Corridor PACE district, that enables
home and business financing for energy efficiency upgrades, solar panels, and hurricane
hardening; and South Miami has promoted recycling and backyard food scrap composting;
and
WHEREAS, the United Nations recognizes that "Livestock are one of the most
significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems "; and
WHEREAS, recent studies and reports have demonstrated that we can lower our
carbon footprint simply by reducing the amount of animal -based foods we eat. Each day
you leave meat off your plate, you reduce your carbon footprint by over 8 pounds. That
means you could save 416 pounds of COz per year (8 pounds x 52 weeks), the CO2
equivalent of not burning 21 gallons of gasoline; and
WHEREAS, a plant -based diet has been shown to use fewer resources and cause
less pollution of all sorts; and
WHEREAS, more than two - thirds of the adult population in the United States and
nearly a third of children and teens are overweight or obese, and obesity is associated with
a higher risk of various health ailments including heart disease and type -2 diabetes; and
WHEREAS, the American Dietetic Association recognizes "appropriately
planned vegetarian diets ... may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of
certain diseases" and that vegetarians tend to have lower rates of heart disease, obesity,
hypertension, and type 2 diabetes; and
WHEREAS, a growing number of people are reducing their meat consumption to
help prevent animal cruelty; and
WHEREAS, national nonprofit organization Compassion Over Killing encourages
people to choose vegetarian foods as a way to help build a kinder, cleaner, and healthier
world, and has worked with elected representatives from cities across the country to adopt
Meatless Monday proclamations or resolutions, as well as restaurants in those cities to
support the initiative with Meatless Monday menus for consumers; and
WHEREAS, several U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Washington, DC, and Philadelphia have adopted Meatless Monday proclamations or
resolutions encouraging residents to participate in Meatless Mondays; and
WHEREAS, a weekly reminder to restart healthy habits on Mondays encourages
success;
Res. No. 259 -13 -14077
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SOUTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, THAT:
Section 1. The City Commission hereby dedicates and proclaims all Mondays
as "Meatless Mondays" in support of comprehensive efforts to protect the environment,
our health, and animals, and encouraging residents to participate by choosing meat -free,
plant -based meals at least one day a week.
Section 2. If any section clause, sentence, or phrase of this resolution is for
any reason held invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, the
holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution.
Section 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
Passed and adopted this 3rd day of iDecemb&;:2013.
ATTEST:
( - 0 _
CITY CLERK
READ AND ROVED AS TO FORM,
LANGUA LF. ALITYsANP -- 1
0
Page 2 of 2
APPROVED:
MAY R
COMMISSION VOTE:
3 -2
Mayor Stoddard:
Yea
Vice Mayor Liebman:
Nay
Commissioner Newman:
Nay
Commissioner Harris:
Yea
Commissioner Welsh:
Yea