Devout vegetarian Radhika Oswal doesn't squirm at the thought of meat - in fact, she still remembers how tasty chicken legs are.
But the wife of fertiliser billionaire Pankaj Oswal has vowed not to eat meat again because of the damage it does to the environment.
Mrs Oswal hit back at criticisms this week after she made a 40-minute presentation on the benefits of vegetarianism on global sustainability at the Oswals' annual ball last weekend.
She told The West Australian that she had nothing against meat-eaters but believed we could help reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by going vegetarian one day a week.
"I don't have a problem with people eating meat," she said. "I think people don't understand the impact of eating meat. I have learnt that vegetarianism is one of the most important and absolutely most ignored concepts relevant to the sustainability of our species, to this planet's ecosystems and to humanity.
"I'm just putting my views out there because I want to show my face to my great-grandchildren and my grandchildren and be able to tell them that I did try. Vegetarianism is something you can do at your own home. All I ever quoted and all I say today, and I say it today again, is try one vegetarian day a week. I've never said stop eating meat."
Mrs Oswal stood by her comments that "we are covering the world in s..." because of the livestock excrement that was clogging the world's rivers and forests. But she had tried meat, having rebelled from her vegetarian family in her teens and eating meat at boarding school.
"Here when you rebel you become vegetarian, but in India it's the opposite. So I rebelled and my friends were all eating these chicken legs and I have to say, it's really sad but they were tasty," she said.
"I started realising the benefits of vegetarianism when someone told me about these benefits less from the angle of religion and more from the angle of sustainability and environmental impact and kindness towards animals. That's when I really understood the importance."
Mrs Oswal is busy with plans to open a worldwide chain of vegetarian restaurants called Otarian. Flagship stores are due to open in Britain and the US this year.
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But the wife of fertiliser billionaire Pankaj Oswal has vowed not to eat meat again because of the damage it does to the environment.
Mrs Oswal hit back at criticisms this week after she made a 40-minute presentation on the benefits of vegetarianism on global sustainability at the Oswals' annual ball last weekend.
She told The West Australian that she had nothing against meat-eaters but believed we could help reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by going vegetarian one day a week.
"I don't have a problem with people eating meat," she said. "I think people don't understand the impact of eating meat. I have learnt that vegetarianism is one of the most important and absolutely most ignored concepts relevant to the sustainability of our species, to this planet's ecosystems and to humanity.
"I'm just putting my views out there because I want to show my face to my great-grandchildren and my grandchildren and be able to tell them that I did try. Vegetarianism is something you can do at your own home. All I ever quoted and all I say today, and I say it today again, is try one vegetarian day a week. I've never said stop eating meat."
Mrs Oswal stood by her comments that "we are covering the world in s..." because of the livestock excrement that was clogging the world's rivers and forests. But she had tried meat, having rebelled from her vegetarian family in her teens and eating meat at boarding school.
"Here when you rebel you become vegetarian, but in India it's the opposite. So I rebelled and my friends were all eating these chicken legs and I have to say, it's really sad but they were tasty," she said.
"I started realising the benefits of vegetarianism when someone told me about these benefits less from the angle of religion and more from the angle of sustainability and environmental impact and kindness towards animals. That's when I really understood the importance."
Mrs Oswal is busy with plans to open a worldwide chain of vegetarian restaurants called Otarian. Flagship stores are due to open in Britain and the US this year.
read more
