Media Release

20th November 2007

Heather?s ?Drink Rats? Milk? Claim is Wilful Misreporting, says Viva!

Yesterday saw the launch of Viva!?s environmental ?HOT!? campaign at Speakers? Corner in Hyde Park, fronted by Heather Mills. The thrust of the campaign is that livestock for meat and dairy are destroying the Earth and are at the heart of all the world?s greatest environmental catastrophes. As part of the campaign Heather appears on billboards which carry stark warnings about the effects of eating meat and dairy.

During her introduction to the media, Heather claimed that people who drink cows? milk might just as well drink rats? milk or dogs? milk as they are every bit as unnatural. It was widely reported in the Press today that Heather Mills had advocated drinking these milks as an alternative to cows? milk in order to save the global environment. It was even used as evidence of her disturbed state of mind. In fact the dairy alternatives she promoted were all plant-based: soya, almond, quinoa, hazelnut and so on.

Juliet Gellatley, founder & director of Viva! states: ?Heather was entirely correct. Like all mammals we have evolved to drink the milk of our mums until weaned. We?re the only mammal to drink milk after weaning (except pets) ? and certainly the only one to drink the milk of another species! It is as unnatural to drink the milk of a cow as it is the milk of a rat or a dog. The truth is, we started drinking cows? milk only very recently in evolutionary terms and three quarters of the world?s population can?t even digest it once they?ve been weaned ? they are ?lactose intolerant? Consuming meat, fish and dairy are at the heart of the world?s major environmental catastrophes which is even more of a tragedy when, as Heather said, there are so many plant alternatives available.?

?The reporters who filed this story about Heather advocating rats? milk knew it was untrue because I amplified on what Heather had said,? continues Juliet Gellatley. ?One actually admitted that he understood precisely what she meant but the ?drink rats? milk? claim made a damned good story. What this reveals is an utter lack of any integrity in most of the Press ? sadly not just the tabloids but the so-called quality papers, too.

?Every event I have attended with Heather has been grossly misreported by the Press and has involved spiteful and vicious personal attacks on her integrity and her sanity. The irony is that one of the most common accusations about Heather is that she is a fantasist and a liar ? by people whose stock in trade is fantasy and lies.

?This campaign is of national importance because it seriously threatens our existence as a species, such is the rapid collapse of essential ecosystems ? and livestock are at the heart of it. The UN FAO (United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation) issued a massive report (Livestock?s Long Shadow) saying precisely this some 12 months ago. They weren?t distorted and trivialised they were simply ignored. So, either way, essential information on our children?s future is ignored for the sake of yet more spite.?

For further information, comment and pictures contact Juliet Gellatley on 0117 944 1000 (out of hours - 07971 425508).

For information on Viva! HOT! Campaign visit www.viva.org.uk/hot

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