The Belgian city of Ghent plans to make a name for itself by becoming the first city on the planet to go vegetarian for one day each week.

The city has decided, collectively (we love those European sensibilities) that there will be a regular weekly meatless day, in which civil servants and elected councilors will opt for vegetarian meals.

The intention of this is to, as a city, recognize the impact that the raising and processing and consuming of livestock has on the environment. The United Nations says livestock is responsible for nearly one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions.

There is a movement here in North America, called Meatless Mondays, that is trying to promote the same idea over here. The folks at Meatless Monday have the right idea, and hopefully news like this will help promote this fantastic idea.