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News at Brighter Green

Brighter Green & Global Forest Coalition Briefing Paper for International Day for Biodiversity 5/22/13

On the occasion of the International Day for Biodiversity and the start of UN talks on a possible sustainable development goal (SDG) on agriculture Brighter Green and the Global Forest Coalition have published a briefing paper to raise awareness of the negative impacts of rapidly expanding industrial livestock farming and large-scale cattle ranching on the world's forests and biodiversity. Industrial animal agriculture cuts across multiple sectors, affecting land use, water, food security, public health, and climate change. But too often these intersections are overlooked.
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Brighter Green at The Seed in NYC 5/19/13

Brighter Green's Executive Director Mia MacDonald spoke about climate change and animal agriculture, and the ecological impacts of the global spread of factory farm operations, at the Seed Experience in New York City on May 18, 2013. She also screened Green's short documentary, "What's for Dinner?" Find out more about the film, including how to show it, here.
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Blog Post on the U.S. National Climate Assessment in the Huffington Post and Civil Eats. 5/2/13

Executive Director Mia MacDonald's blog post on the U.S. National Climate Assessment and U.S. and global systems of food production was featured in the Huffington Post and was re-blogged on the American food system news website Civil Eats.

Brighter Green collaborates with Global Forest Coalition at the World Social Forum 3/29/13

Brighter Green collaborated with Global Forest Coalition on an event and paper on the risks of industrial livestock production for the environment, communities (including indigenous communities), and animals at the World Social Forum in Tunisia.

China Dialogue Publishes BG Blogs 2/13/13

Brighter Green guest blogger Wanqing Zhou's exploration of of the growing challenge of food waste in China ("Food Waste and Recycling in China: Too Easy, Too Hard"), including from animal agriculture, has been republished in English and Chinese on China Dialogue, an important, bilingual Web portal for global environmental news with a focus on China.

Katerva Award Winners Announced 2/12/13

The winners of the two Katerva awards for innovation in sustainability have been announced. Mia MacDonald of Brighter Green served on the judging panel for the food security theme, and the project finalist she ranked highest, Backpack Farm, piloted in East Africa, came first in its category.

Brighter Green Hosts a Successful East African Girls' Leadership Initiative Fundraiser 12/7/12

Brighter Green and Tribal Link hosted a successful fundraiser for the East African Girls' Leadership Initiative in December 2012. Over $3,000 were raised to help support two girls' education, living costs, rights training, mentoring, and leadership skill workshops for one year. Singer-songwriter Joy Askew performed at the event and Grace Koutimet, from SIMOO spoke about the role of Maasai women in the community and how educating Maasai women greatly assists the communities' progress.

Mia MacDonald's Blog Post on COP 18 Featured in the Huffington Post 12/6/12

Brighter Green's Mia MacDonald's blog post on COP 18 and the conference's failure to address the negative effects of industrial food systems, particularly industrial agriculture, on climate change appeared in the Huffington Post on December 6, 2012.

Brighter Green Participates in COP 18 Side Event 12/3/12

Brighter Green's Mia MacDonald participated in and moderated a side event to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP18) in Doha, Qatar in December 2012. The side event entitled "Climate Change & Ensuring Sustainable, Humane, Equitable Food Systems: Views from the North and South" focused on climate change and livestock farming. Xie Zheng, featured in Brighter Green's short documentary "What's for Dinner?" also spoke at the event. For more information on Brighter Green's research on climate change and the globalization of farming click here.

Brighter Green attended COP 18 Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar 12/2/12

Executive Director Mia MacDonald attended the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 18) from November 26 to December 2, 2012. Mia shared Brighter Green's research on climate change and the globalization of intensive animal agriculture.

Brighter Green Joins Climate Action Network 11/16/12

Brighter Green has just become a member of Climate Action Network-U.S. (USCAN), in the lead up to the COP18 climate summit.
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Largest McDonald's on Earth to Open For London's 2012 Olympic Games

by Rachael Helschein
July 26, 2011 10:38am

McDonald's, the "Official Restaurant" of the 2012 Olympic Games

Spectators and athletes at the London Olympic Games next summer will be able to patron what will be the busiest and biggest McDonald's restaurant in the world. With four outlets at the Olympic Park in Stratford, London, the largest will stand at 30,000 square feet and hold 1,500 people at one time. The two-story giant fast-food outlet is expected to serve 14 million meals, including approximately 50,000 Big Macs, 100,000 portions of fries, and 30,000 milkshakes during the 17-day competition.

The London games mark the ninth consecutive Olympics where McDonald's has held the rights as the event's official restaurant and only branded food retailer feeding the athletes.

Talk about mixed messages! There appears to be a severe disconnect when examining this ambitious business venture. The Olympic Games appear to represent the pinnacle of athletic prowess and physical potential, promoting corporeal awareness, and a healthy, active lifestyle. These ideals appear superficial, asinine, and almost satirical when one considers the public health track record of McDonald's.

Particularly ironic is the pledge of the previous UK Labour government to use the Olympic Games as a way of getting two million more Britons to adopt a more active lifestyle to combat rising rates of obesity. Grahame Morris, a member of the parliamentary health committee, questions McDonald's sponsorship of the Games.
Given the huge public health issues of childhood obesity, it is legitimate to question whether having the world's biggest McDonald's at the Olympic Park is sending an appropriate message to our young people.

The deal seems rather contradictory while almost a third of children in the UK are classified as overweight or obese by the time they leave secondary school. While a spokesperson for the British Medical Association stressed that "these products should be seen as very rare treats," an estimated one in five meals eaten during the Olympics will be from McDonald's.