PETA Pushes for Sustainable Vegan Olympics

For Immediate Release:
March 23, 2021

Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382

This morning, PETA sent a letter to Casey Wasserman, chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics, adding its support to Olympic medalist Dotsie Bausch’s request that the games go vegan and noting that serving animal-friendly meals would be the best way to fulfill the Olympic Movement’s commitment to sustainability. Animal agriculture is a leading cause of greenhouse-gas emissions, deforestation, and droughts, which all contribute to catastrophic climate change—and the wildfires that come with it.

“If the Olympics want to go for the gold in sustainability, they’ll go vegan,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is ready to help the 2028 Games slash their carbon footprint, support Los Angeles’ booming vegan dining scene, and protect athletes’ health, animals, and the Earth by dishing up delicious plant-powered meals.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Wasserman follows.

March 23, 2021

Casey Wasserman

Chair

LA 2028

Dear Mr. Wasserman:

I’m writing on behalf of PETA and our more than 6.5 million members and supporters worldwide, including thousands across Los Angeles, to echo Dotsie Bausch’s request to make the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics vegan. We applaud the Olympic Movement’s contribution toward the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and overall commitment to sustainability thus far—but without a doubt, the most effective way to commit to sustainability is by going vegan.

The U.N. has already made it clear that a global shift to a vegan diet is vital if we are to combat the worst effects of climate change and that animal agriculture is “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global,” including land degradation, air pollution, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.

The number of vegans has skyrocketed and continues to climb rapidly. Since the start of the pandemic, 23% of Americans have been more plant-based food, and sales of vegan items in the U.S. have increased by 90% during the pandemic. Making the Olympics vegan would help support local restaurants—at least 285 establishments in Los Angeles alone are vegan or vegetarian.

Healthy vegan eating supports a lifetime of good health and provides protection against numerous diseases, including our country’s biggest killers: heart disease, certain types of cancer, and strokes. Bausch is a wonderful example of someone who has adopted a vegan lifestyle—she became the oldest athlete in the history of her sport to win an Olympic medal, a remarkable feat powered by her healthy, plant-based diet.

Just as Bausch said, you are already way ahead of the curve. Going vegan is the next logical step, and it has never been easier. We would be happy to connect you with vendors and help in any way we can. We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Ingrid Newkirk

President