Just days after the disaster, PETA flew a plane over downtown Mobile, Ala., with a banner that read: "Meat on your grill = oil spill."
PETA posted an explanation of the message on its blog: "Raising animals for food causes environmental devastation on a massive scale, and oil spills can be blamed in large part on the oil-guzzling meat industry."
The group is known for its over-the-top campaigns, but this one left even some PETA supporters upset. Reactions were mixed, but several comments on PETA's blog called out the group for a confusing and insensitive message. For its part, PETA president and founder Ingrid Newkirk said the group is sympathetic to the situation in the Gulf and merely wants to "create an argument, because discussion is healthy."
"We're all about personal responsibility, and it's not as simple as blaming oil companies," Newkirk added. "It's the consumer's demand for meat products that puts oil drilling on the map."
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