Vegan lifestyle articles that discuss ways of living in peace with humans, animals, and the environment.
Nathan Runkle,
AlterNet.org
January 2018
Eating vegan is casting a vote for progress, compassion and hope, every single day.
This year has been nothing short of chaotic. Wildfires and hurricanes
have wreaked untold destruction, while society seems increasingly heated and
out of control. No matter one’s political affiliation, the mere act of
reading the news can induce anxiety and arouse confusion about how one
person can actually make a difference. As we draft our New Year’s
resolutions––to improve ourselves and our communities––one item we can all
add that will indeed make a difference is simply to go vegan. Hear me out.
By going vegan, you’ll adopt the diet with the smallest carbon
footprint—smaller by more than 50 percent compared to a meat-eater’s diet.
That’s because animal agriculture is a very resource-intensive way to
produce food. Raising chickens, pigs, and cows requires far more land and
water than growing legumes, grains, fruits, and vegetables. According to the
United Nations, animal agriculture is the leading contributor to climate
change.
So next time you despair over shrinking public lands or our withdrawal from
the Paris climate accord, know that reducing or eliminating our consumption
of meat, milk, and eggs is perhaps the most effective action we can take in
our daily lives to fight climate change.
Each year we spend nearly $70 billion on our cats, dogs, and other companion
animals, and a 2015 Gallup poll found that one-third of all Americans
believe animals should have the same basic rights as people. But for most of
us, our behavior doesn’t fully align with our values. Despite our love for
animals, over 9 billion land animals per year are slaughtered for food in
the U.S. alone, and they suffer immensely.
The vast majority of hens in the egg industry spend their lives in cages so
small they can’t spread their wings; mother pigs are confined in crates so
narrow they can’t turn around; and chickens raised for meat are bred to grow
so large, so fast that many cannot even walk without pain. The Animal
Welfare Act doesn’t protect animals raised for food, which means farmers can
legally subject them to a range of abuses, from castration without
anesthesia to grueling transport.
And while the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act affords some protection at
slaughter, the law excludes birds, so chickens can have their heads dragged
through electrified water and their throats slit while the birds are fully
conscious. If you go vegan, you will personally spare dozens of chickens,
pigs, fish and cows abhorrent cruelty in 2018.
Finally, let’s talk about the reasons this is also the best resolution for
your health. If your goal is to shed some pounds in 2018, you should know
that eating vegan has proved at least twice as effective for weight loss
than a meat-eater’s diet. On average, vegans weigh less and have lower rates
of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and certainforms of cancer. And you’ll
likely enjoy not only outward benefits like clearer skin and less bloating;
you’ll also feel more beautiful on the inside.
We can’t know what 2018 will bring, but we do know that reducing or
eliminating our consumption of animal products will help fight climate
change, reduce animal cruelty, and improve our health. In a world that feels
increasingly nasty and cynical, eating vegan is casting a vote for progress,
compassion, and hope, every single day.
Nathan Runkle is founder and president of Mercy For Animals (MFA).
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