Jackie O: Cooking for the Planet

Media personality Jackie O is lending her voice to the environmental and health benefits of vegetarianism, reports Nathan Brown.

She’s one of Australia’s best-known young media personalities, particularly as the voice of the nationally syndicated “Hot 30 Countdown” and Sydney breakfast radio on 2Day FM. But, a few weeks ago, Jackie O was speaking out in quite a different way—as the spokesperson for Australia’s first-ever National Vegetarian Week.
“I choose to endorse products and campaigns I believe in,” says 32-yearold Jackie. “I have been vegetarian since I was 21, so being asked to be the face of National Vegetarian Week and producing the Vegie Delights BBQ Recipes cookbook was an easy fit for me.
“Being vegetarian is something I’m really passionate about,” she explains.
“If I can spread the word about the benefits of being vegetarian and influence people in any way, then I think that would be a great thing.” According to Jackie, her decision to speak out on this issue is based on her own experience. “There are many misconceptions out there about being vegetarian,” she says. “People believe there is a lack of choice out there but I’ve been a vegetarian for 11 years now and I had the same misconceptions when I first thought about becoming vegetarian.
I soon realised it was a much healthier way of living and it is actually really easy to do.” As well as her radio career, Jackie O has a patchy television resume, including hosting a variety of “reality TV” shows. “The radio and entertainment game is certainly exciting and everchanging,” she reflects. “You never know who you are going to meet or what each program is going to deliver. I guess I always wanted to do something that challenged me.” But she describes radio as her first love. “I have been with the Austereo network for quite a long time and I love my breakfast program,” Jackie muses. “Radio allows you complete creative control and it’s never boring. I enjoy doing television but would prefer something live and spontaneous as opposed to a prerecorded program.
“I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to host one of the most popular breakfast programs in the country. It is something I enjoy—a lot of fun.” But Jackie is also aware of the expectations that come with being such a public figure. “Obviously you have a responsibility as a role model—particularly considering the large chunk of the younger audience who tune into the breakfast program,” she says. “I try to be as real and as honest as I can, so the listeners know I’m not perfect. They know all about my flaws because I tell them. I think it’s important to let them know that nobody is perfect—even [actress] Jessica Alba has her flaws.” Again, her personal experience provides the motivation for this consciousness.
“When I first started my career in radio, my role model was Catriona Rowntree,” Jackie recalls.
“She had her own show on Triple J [radio] and was doing TV as well. Hers was the sort of career I always dreamt of, so I cut out a picture of her and put it in my wish book.
“It’s funny, because I now know Catriona really well and have interviewed her so many times over the years. It was only a couple of weeks ago that I told her this story for the first time—she got a good laugh out of that.”

As well as pursuing her media career, Jackie also made a significant decision to become a vegetarian and focus more on looking after herself as a young person. “I used to get sick a lot,” she explains. “After cutting out meat from my diet, I noticed that my energy levels increased and I hardly ever got the flu.
Being vegetarian has many other health benefits, like reducing your chances of being overweight or obese, developing type II diabetes, heart disease or cancer later in life. It’s also a positive step I can take toward helping the environment.” Speaking on behalf of National Vegetarian Week, Jackie’s focus on the environmental impact of what we eat is an important consideration and one vegetarians generally live exceedingly healthy lives and it is important for people to have options.” Jackie admits it was not an easy transition to make, and that finding foods and restaurants that catered for vegetarians was a challenge. “It was all lettuce leaves and lentils!” she jokes. “Vegetarianism is now very mainstream and there are lots of great tasting, creative vegetarian options.” Jackie says her family had similar initial reactions: “Every Christmas, my mum used to freak out about what she could cook for me but she’s getting better at understanding what alternatives are out there.” But as much as anything else, Jackie’s decision has caused her to be more intentional in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She works out regularly and, amid a busy schedule, she says she has been “forced” to eat healthier. “It comes down to thinking ahead and making sure you have the types of food you want to eat available,” says Jackie. “But there are lots of great cafes and restaurants that now provide a good selection of vegetarian options for when I’m on the run.”

When telling others about her decision to become vegetarian and the benefits that brings, Jackie’s message is simple.
“I just tell them how great I feel!” she enthuses.
So when the opportunity arose to work with Sanitarium to produce a book of vegetarian BBQ recipes, Jackie had little hesitation. “Australians are big on barbeques, particularly during summer— it is a very social thing,” she says.
“But I think that people wonder, if you are a vegetarian, what you are going to eat. So this book is about showing what your options are—and the recipes taste delicious too.” The description of a barbeque on a warm summer’s afternoon somewhere in Australia may sound laid-back but Jackie’s contribution to this picture has a definite purpose. “I want to raise the profile and benefits of vegetarian and plant-based eating—to encourage Australian’s to reduce the amount of meat they consume in their everyday diets,” she says.
According to Jackie O, that will be good for our health and good for our planet.

For more information on a vegetarian lifestyle or to download a free copy of Jackie O’s Vegie Delights BBQ Recipes cookbook,visit Veggie Deights: www.vegiedelights.com.au

the environmental impact of emissions from animal agriculture

Methane emissions are more potent than CO2

The methane produced by Australia’s cattle and sheep has more impact than the emissions from all coal-fired power stations in Australia.
Methane is 20-25 times more potent than CO2 at trapping heat inside Earth’s atmosphere but breaks down much more quickly (7-10 years compared to 200 years).
This means, cutting CO2 emissions will have no effect on global warming for decades but reducing methane will have an immediate effect.

Livestock contribute to global warming

More than a third of human-activity related methane results from livestock activity, such as agriculture involving cattle, chickens, pigs and sheep.
A 2006 report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation states the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent—18 per cent—than transport-related burning of fossil fuels.
With 28 million cattle and 110 million sheep, Australia has the highest ratio of cattle and second highest of sheep to people in the world.
In cows, 95 per cent of methane is emitted through belching, not flatulence as commonly believed.

Switching to a plant-based diet will reduce emissions

In just under five years the total dietary emissions from the meat of a family of four on the CSIRO Total Wellbeing diet will exceed those from building and running a large 4WD vehicle.
The difference between 14 serves of red meat a week as recommended by the CSIRO diet, and no serves is 5.7 tonnes of methane emissions annually.
Livestock are also the source of additional greenhouse emissions apart from methane. Fuel is used to transport animals to market and to cool the refrigerated distribution chain from abattoirs to consumers.

Grazing is the major user of water in Australia

Dairy and beef production are the highest major water users in Australia.
It takes thousands more litres of water to produce a kilo of beef than it does to grow the same quantity of grains or vegetables.
Livestock production accounts for more than 8 percent of global human water consumption.

Source: National Vegetarian Week

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