Brighton’s Missing Road Sign Could Get ‘Go Vegan’ Replacement From PETA

New Electronic Sign Would Encourage Drivers to Switch to Humane, Healthy, and Earth-Friendly ‘Fuel’

For Immediate Release:
September 12, 2014

Contact:
Alexis Sadoti 202-483-7382

As the town of Brighton, Vt., searches for a missing (and presumed stolen) electronic road sign that was last seen on September 2, PETA sent a letter this afternoon to Town Administrator Joel Cope offering to pay to replace the $3,200 sign—that is, if this pro-vegan message is displayed beneath the sign: “Put the Brakes On Climate Change. Go Vegan.”

“Going vegan is one of the easiest ways to put the brakes on climate change, cruelty to animals, and heart disease alike,” says PETA Director of Communications Colleen O’Brien. “PETA’s ‘go vegan’ reminder could help Brighton motorists get in the fast lane to a reduced carbon footprint, a healthier life, and a clear conscience.”

In its letter, PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that raising animals for food is a leading cause of greenhouse-gas emissions. Studies show that switching to a vegan diet is a more effective way to combat climate change than switching from a standard American car to a hybrid. Vegans are also less prone to obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes than meat-eaters are—and they save the lives of more than 100 animals every year.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA’s letter to Brighton Town Administrator Joel Cope follows.

September 12, 2014

Joel Cope
Town Administrator

Dear Mr. Cope:

I’m writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and our more than 3 million members and supporters, including thousands across Vermont. We heard about the electronic sign that was recently stolen from the roadside in Brighton and would be happy to consider covering the cost of replacing it if you would agree to place a truly lifesaving message for motorists beneath the sign: “Put the brakes on climate change. Go vegan. PETA.”

Going vegan is the fastest way for people to make a significant reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions, in addition to saving animals’ lives. According to researchers at the University of Chicago, switching from a standard American diet to a vegan diet is a more effective way to combat climate change than switching from a standard American car to a hybrid. Did you know that the production of just 1 kilogram of beef releases more carbon dioxide into the air than a car driving 100 miles? Posting our pro-vegan message on the sign could significantly reduce Brighton’s carbon footprint.

By cutting meat, eggs, and dairy products out of their diets, Vermont residents and tourists would also get on the road to good health. Vegans are, on average, 18 percent thinner than meat-eaters, and according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, they are also less prone to obesity, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Also, every traveler who decides to go vegan after seeing the sign could rest easy knowing that he or she will save the lives of more than 100 animals each year from the horrors of factory farms, where they are subjected to intensive confinement and routine mutilations before being dragged to painful and frightening deaths in slaughterhouses.

We would love it if this new sign could help Brighton residents get on the road to a reduced carbon footprint and a healthier lifestyle while saving animals and the ozone layer. I look forward to speaking with you about the details.

Sincerely,

Alicia Woempner
Special Projects Manager