CSIRO book's vegetarian advice enrages MP

By Jared Lynch
Updated November 7 2012 - 2:03pm, first published September 27 2009 - 12:51pm
MP John Vogels has a steak in protest against a CSIRO climate-change book urging people to eat less meat. Picture: THE AGE
MP John Vogels has a steak in protest against a CSIRO climate-change book urging people to eat less meat. Picture: THE AGE

AUSTRALIA'S peak industrial research body is conspiring to force farmers off the land through a new green living book, a south-west MP claims.Western Victoria Liberal MP John Vogels, has slammed the CSIRO's Home Energy Saving Handbook, which promotes vegetarian diets to reduce agricultural green house gas emissions."It seems tofu-munching climate change extremists and animal libbers have taken over the CSIRO, wasting taxpayer funds to publish books designed to wipe out our agriculture industries with the ultimate goal of forcing farmers off the land,'' Mr Vogels said."As a nation we need to move beyond the kindergarten view that livestock generate greenhouse gas emissions and focus climate change strategies on reducing those emissions which are genuine pollutants.''A link on the CSIRO website about the handbook directs people to the Victorian Government's Department of Health webpage which highlights the benefits of introducing children to a vegetarian diet.It states: "For most well and healthy children a vegetarian diet can provide a healthy and nutritious alternative to a diet including meat.''Mr Vogels called on the CSIRO to apologise to Australian livestock and dairy farmers for publishing what he believed was a "flawed'' climate change handbook. He said the organisation had abandoned its 90-year charter to support agriculture industries."Former prime ministers Billy Hughes and Stanley Melbourne Bruce would be turning in their graves because they established the CSIRO to assist Australia's primary and secondary industries, not to attack or undermine farmers,'' Mr Vogels said."These former prime ministers would never have created the CSIRO if they knew it would one day be used as a vehicle to close down our beef, sheep and wool industries.''Mr Vogels said taxpayer dollars should be spent on making coal-fired power stations greener by investing more in carbon geosequestration.The CSIRO said the book was a "guide designed to help Australian households reduce their carbon footprints and take action against climate change''.

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