Humane League intern Lou Ryan is a full-time student and activist. She currently studies professional writing at Kutztown University, where she has written a number of health-related articles for the student-run newspaper The Keystone.

This Thursday, March 20th at 10 a.m., City Council will officially present its recently passed Meatless Monday resolution to the Humane League, the nonprofit organization instrumental to the measure.

But it doesn’t stop there – schools are the next target. Thursday evening, the Humane League’s Philadelphia director, Rachel Atcheson, will be speaking at the School Reform Commission meeting for the third consecutive month urging the School District of Philadelphia to implement Meatless Monday.

Serving plant-based meals just one day a week would reduce meat consumption by about 20% in the nation’s eighth largest school district. This would be an important step toward sustainability, since according to a United Nations report, “livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today’s most serious environmental problems.”

The City Council agrees that eating more vegetarian meals is better for the Earth, stating in its resolution, “a plant-based diet has been demonstrated to use fewer resources and cause less pollution than a meat-based diet.”

Meatless Monday can help students become healthier, as well. Plant-based foods lower in saturated fat and cholesterol can help reduce the risk of preventable disease such as obesity and diabetes, which are becoming prevalent in Philadelphia schoolchildren.

Support from Philadelphia parents, students, and residents has been propelling the campaign forward. Unfortunately, the District is still resisting, even though many districts across the country have already implemented Meatless Monday in their cafeterias. Some notable examples include Los Angeles Unified School District, Detroit Public Schools, and San Diego Unified School District. By joining this growing list, the School District of Philadelphia would be showing its commitment to sustainability and to the health of its students.

You can help push the measure forward by signing the petition and urging the District to implement Meatless Monday. If you’d like to stay updated with the campaign and learn more about how you can help, follow The Humane League on Twitter and Instagram at @HumaneLeaguePHL or on Facebook.

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