It has been nearly three years since I made the move to veganism. I was at Warped Tour in 2013, and in between sets of my favorite bands, I happened across the informational tent of Peta2. Peta2 is like the younger sister of PETA; she recognizes that animal cruelty is bad and has sent out street teams upon the world to halt said actions.

When I went vegan, I promised myself that I wouldn’t be the vegan that throws red paint on someone wearing fur, better known as preachy vegans. I decided I would read up on animal cruelty and like topics, so that if someone chose to argue with me aggressively: I would be ready. If you cannot already tell, this piece may get a bit rant-y.

The reason I chose to write this article today is because this is my choice. I realize it is a choice instead of being born of certain race, religion, or sexual preference. However, my opinion, though unpopular, still deserves respect all the same. As Tolstoy once said, “respect was invented to fill the space where love ought to be.” I continue writing to present a few positive arguments on why veganism is a good choice.

Do you love animals? Of course you do, everyone has a favorite animal. A fluffy bunny, a squishy-faced pug, even Miley’s baby piggy with red-lacquered toenails. Paraphrasing a speech from a friend, "you wouldn’t take a knife to one of these beautiful creatures, wait until they died, and hug the dead animal you once loved and say 'oh my god, I loved you.' That’s right, you wouldn’t because it’s sick, as morally wrong. More than 6 million animals are killed for food every hour."

Since moving to Utah, I have noticed a difference in climate. Specifically, the inversion. Did you know that a person who follows the vegan lifestyle produces 50 percent less carbon dioxide? I bet you didn’t. Considering the state of our Inter-mountain Valley, that really gives you something to think about, doesn’t it?

Living in a land-locked, almost desert-like state, one concern that is always kept on rotation in our minds is the water situation. Did you know that it takes 1,000 gallons of water to produce a single gallon of milk? This number is nearly tied with the 900 gallons of water needed for 1 pound of cheese.

A few of the most brilliant minds in history (in my opinion, anyway) were either vegetarian or vegan, and encouraged such a lifestyle. Leo Tolstoy, author of over 35 books and short stories. A guest speaker at the University in June, and wise Tibetan monk, The 14th Dalai Lama. Leonardo Da Vinci, famous painter, inventor, architect, and mathematician. Henry Ford, founder of the American car manufacturing company Ford. Isaac Newton, scientist who wrote theories on gravity. Confucius, Chinese teacher and philosopher.

Yes, these facts are harsh, but they are fact. Is it hard to go vegan? Not really, just read some labels. Does it take a little willpower? Yes, but so do other life-altering changes such as, quitting smoking or looking for that dream job. Are some vegans kind of rude? Yes, but clearly not all of us, or else you wouldn’t have read my article. Many of our readers, here at The Odyssey, are college students desperately wishing to change the world. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”