I hate to be the annoying vegan in the room, but on the other hand I feel obligated to be one. If I wasn’t as passionate as I am about veganism, then people would not learn about the immense difference it could make.
There are many reasons why I switched my flexitarian lifestyle to a more compassionate one. First, I hate being a hypocrite.
All my life I have said I loved animals, but really I didn’t. I loved pets. All animals are equal believe it or not, and if you won’t eat a dog, then you shouldn’t eat a cow.
People become hysterical when they hear that the Chinese eat dogs. Well, we eat cows and pigs and to the same degree, they both walk on all fours and all want to live a prosperous life.
Yet, there is more to veganism than just saving the animals. It’s about the state of the planet.
Between the hurricanes, the drought, the overflow of water on beaches and the fires, climate change can be the reason for the collapse of the Earth.
Is there a way to stop it? Yes. Switch to a plant-based diet.
Animal agriculture is the number one factor in climate change. It has a vast environmental footprint. Land and water degradation, biodiversity loss, acid rain, coral reef degradation and deforestation are just some examples.
Animal agriculture contributes to 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. Production of one pound of beef takes 1800 liters of water. Humans are unknowingly killing the Earth by eating meat and contributing to these organizations that harvest animals.
Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenage activist, has encouraged millions of people all over the world to march for climate change so the governments can finally take notice, but are all of those people marching vegan? Are they unknowingly contributing to the killing of the Earth even though they mean well? Yes, but it’s understandable.
No one was taught this in school. No doctor ever tells their patients to switch to a plant-based diet because it’s better for their health. This is kept quiet when it needs to be spoken out loud.
Let’s get one thing straight: people don’t like vegans because they think we assume we are better than everyone else. Wrong, we believe we are equal to every living being. That is why we don’t eat animals, why we want to save the Earth and why we want everyone to lessen their meat consumption.
If everyone participated in meatless Mondays, their carbon footprint would be reduced and they would save water, fossil fuels and precious animals.
It would be so amazing if everyone was vegan, but I would be living in a fantasy if I believed that transformation could happen overnight. It takes time and patience.
The facts are there and we can change the future of our world, together.
