Veganism- stereotypically viewed as a cult of hippies that prance around, kiss pigs, and punch omnivores. But as we know, stereotypes can almost never paint an accurate picture. With that in mind- let's explore the meatless, dairy-less, and egg-less phenomenon that is Veganism.
A couple of months ago, I stumbled upon a YouTube channel called "VeganGains," created by Richard Burgess. The channel attracts a great deal of controversy: Richard constantly argues that bodybuilders should go vegan for athletic performance. His videos are scientifically informed, smart, and make a lot of sense. If you read my passion blog from last semester, you'd know how much into fitness I am- and thus how much persuasive effect the videos had.
Besides discussing the effect of a Vegan diet on athletic performance, Richard also talked about how much it can alleviate environmental stress and damage. This piqued my interest, as I had always thought that people would only convert to Veganism for ethics and health. So, I decided to do some research on the environmental impact of the animal products industry. After reading some studies, articles, and journals, I quickly made the switch to a Vegan diet. In this blog, I will be discussing how a Vegan diet OR a diet low in animal products can help the environment. In today's post, I'll lay out some basic facts and figures.
Before I begin, however, I'd like to make something clear: I don't view my Vegan diet as a moral high ground. Veganism suits my beliefs and lifestyle best; however, I understand that it doesn't for many others. The purpose of this blog isn't to give a "F*** you" to anyone who isn't Vegan; rather, it's to provide information so that readers can see if this diet suits them.
With that being said, let's get into some facts. First and foremost, the most harmful effect of the animal products industry on the environment comes from greenhouse gas emissions. According to HSUS, the animal product industry produces 9 % of human-emitted CO2 emissions, 37% of methane emissions (which is 20 times more conducive to global warming than CO2), and 65% of nitrous oxide emissions (which is 300 times more conducive).
Additionally, the industry perpetuates deforestation and desertification, which, according to TeraPass, can further facilitate global warming, as less plant mass is available to absorb volatile CO2. With all taken into account, the animal products industry accounts for 51% of all total greenhouse gas emissions according to this report by Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang.
Vegans often hear the counterargument that soy agriculture causes significant deforestation, thus having a plant-based diet high in soy causes as much harm as an omnivorous diet. However, according to Gentle World, only 15% of all soy is farmed for human consumption. The other 85% is grown for animal feed! So, not only do the animals themselves directly cause climate change through methane production (farts); the food grown to feed the animals do too!
There are certain activities that harm the environment that can't be avoided; driving, air travel, to name a few. Veganism, on the other hand, can be adopted by almost anyone. Also unlike these other activities, Veganism has a positive impact on an individual's life (I will explore those benefits in a future post).
Furthermore, since I went Vegan, I've noticed that many people perceive my diet change as me joining a cult, rather than a decision I've made to better my health, my conscience, and the environment. Regardless of whether you agree with my points, keep in mind that Vegans aren't crazy hippies; in reality, they're people making a reasonable and selfless decision.
Please- if you've read this far, please give me your thoughts! I'm curious to know if any of you are vegan, vegetarian, if you agree with me, disagree with me, or if you hate me. Either way, give me your thoughts!
Vegan quote of the week:
“I noted with horror the striking similarities between what the Nazis did to my family and my people, and what we do to animals we raise for food: the branding or tattooing of serial numbers to identify victims, the use of cattle cars to transport victims to their death, the crowded housing of victims in wood crates, the arbitrary designation of who lives and who dies — the Christian lives, the Jew dies; the dog lives, the pig dies.” -Alex Hershaft, Holocaust Survivor, 2016
http://www.humanesociety.org/assets/pdfs/farm/hsus-fact-sheet-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-animal-agriculture.pdf
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6294
https://www.terrapass.com/livestock-responsible-for-51-of-greenhouse-gas-emissions
http://gentleworld.org/as-we-soy-so-shall-we-reap/
I like how you started by describing your own personal experience with converting to veganism. It's refreshing to know that it doesn't have to be some major change that you preach - it can just be something that can be done for health and to do your individual part to slow down climate change. I had no idea that the animal product industry was so harmful to the environment. I've seen the documentary Food Inc, which went behind the scenes of multiple huge corporations and saw the poor conditions in which the animals were kept, but I had no idea that the emissions were actually so prevalent. Finally, I appreciated how you acknowledged the stereotypes surrounding vegans - I don't know really why this "hippie" viewpoint has emerged, but it definitely does exist. You mentioning it and debunking it lends credibility to your blog because you're not just blindly preaching - it's done in a very masterful way!
ReplyDeleteHaha I love your hook! You perfectly integrate quotes into your blog so it flows really well. It is also great that you put your own input into it, and the reasons you are vegan! It is scary to see the impact the animal food industry has. Great job Jesse!!
ReplyDeleteI similarly had a vegan experience once when I was in middle school! I wanted to try to have a healthier diet in general, rather than trying to "save" animals and the environment. My family tried to help me as much as they could to adjust, which was nice because I got their support. I really enjoyed your blog!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this post! The statistics you included were relevant, persuasive, and actually fairly surprising. I also think it was really great that you explained why you decided to start a vegan diet; the logic in why you did so seems hard to refute. I definitely think you've given me something to consider changing in my own life.
ReplyDeleteYour introduction made me laugh. I think I might be one of those ignorant people that thinks vegans are members of a unicorn cult or something. Reading your posts will be informative for me. I would like to read about other animal products that you do or do not avoid and why. Like certain clothing options, hair/ beauty products (that one may be more for female vegans). One thing to think about, in your second paragraph you might want to cite the YouTube channel or post a vid so that people can see what you're talking about. I am interested to keep reading your posts.
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