The city of South Miami, population 12,000, has joined the ranks of Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco. It has passed a resolution proclaiming Mondays to be Meatless Mondays.
“I am an omnivore but I’m cognizant of animal welfare and carbon emissions,” says South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard.
Relax, South Miamians, you won’t be busted for eating a hamburger on Monday — or any other day. Meatless Monday is an alliterative oath taken by cities, restaurants, schools and individuals, including chefs Marcus Samuelson and Giada de Laurentis and celebs like Oprah Winfrey and Emily Deschanel. It’s reminder that eating less meat has big personal and global impact.
“This is not legislation, it’s not a mandate, it’s an urging. I just want the citizens of South Miami to think about these important choices that they make,” says Stoddard, who, in addition to his elected position is a zoologist and a professor of biology at Florida International Universtiy.