We weren't all meant to have the same understanding, but what happened to "agree to disagree"? I respect a challenging conversation; heated arguments get my blood pumping.
I'm a very curious person myself, though most of the questions I get aren't with the intent of really wanting to know what being a vegan is all about. It is more like trying to ridicule me because it is so hard for a small minded person to comprehend. Questions about the vegan life come with sarcasm and snickering. It's just not cool making something others take seriously into a joke. I ask for support and nothing else.
I seem to have many differences from those in the world around me, and one that seems to really shock people here in the south is that I am a vegan. Not vegetarian, but vegan. A vegetarian does not eat meat, fish, or poultry. Vegans also do not consume that along with other animal products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, (yes, even honey) leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products. What inspired me to write about this was my attempt at a speech on veganism in oral communication my senior year.
It was a total fail.
The entire time I was trying to speak, people were blurting out rude questions basically calling it foolishness and not giving it a chance whatsoever. They even went as far as questioning my religion and how I survived without starving. Rejection is a very bad feeling, especially when you really believe in something. I don't think I have ever felt it like that before. I just wanted to share something good. I was so frustrated and defeated, I lost hope in trying to convince people. I felt like I was so unheard. I still feel unheard. This isn't just about being a vegan, it's about being heard and being a voice to those who can't be. I am no longer afraid to stand up for myself or others.
I found out what being vegan means through social media. Anna Russett is awesome and you should check her out on YouTube. She talked about the movie Cowspiracy and how it changed her life so I thought I should see for myself; Cowspiracy is hands down one of the best things I have ever spent the precious minutes of my life on. It slaps you in the face with nothing but truth. It showed me that we have all been doing it wrong and how much is really hidden from us. Vegan is so much more than not killing animals. It's good for the entire planet. You can't even call yourself an environmentalist if you're still eating animal products. I stopped cold turkey and jumped right into it. It is a bit challenging to find food around here that isn't sopped in bacon grease, especially in my home. It literally smells like pork chops 24/7 and there are mounted animals on every wall. Yeah, I'm definitely the odd one out. If I can do it, anyone can.
Facts on facts on facts. It is worse for the environement than you think. Goodland, R Anhang, J "Livestock and Climate Change: What if the key factors in climate change were pigs, chickens, and cows?" Livestock is responsible for 65 percent of all human-related emissions of nitrogenous oxide-a greenhouse gas with 269 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. That stays in the atmosphere for 150 years. Animal agriculture is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the combined exhaust from all transportation. Livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32 million tons of carbon dioxide per year. Cows produce 150 billion gallons of methane per day. 2,500 gallons of water are needed to produce 1 pound of beef. 477 gallons of water are required to produce 1 pound of eggs; almost 900 gallons of water are needed for one pound of cheese. 1,000 gallons of water are needed to produce 1 gallon of milk. 5 percent of water in the U.S. is consumed by private homes. 55% of the water in the U.S. is for animal agriculture. Livestock covers 45 percent of the earth's total land. Animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution and habitat destruction. 90 to 100 million tons of fish are pulled from our oceans each year. If they catch something they don't need, they just throw it away. Same thing with male chicks and male calfs in the dairy industry. Animals are literally thrown away because humans see them as an inconvenience. We could see fishless oceans by 2048. A farm with 2,500 dairy cows produces the same amount of waste as a city of 411,000 people. In the U.S. livestock produces 116,000 pounds of waste per second: Dairy cows-9 million, cattle-90 million, pigs-67 million, sheep/goats-9 million. They produce enough waste to cover NYC, SF, Tokyo, etc. Animal agriculture is responsible for up to 91% of Amazon destruction. 1-2 acres are cleared every second. So many species and wildlife are lost because of this. 70 billion farmed animals are reared annually worldwide. More than 6 million animals are killed for food every hour. Throughout the world, humans drink 5.2 gallons of water and eat 21 billion pounds of food each day. Worldwide, cows drink 45 gallons of water and eat 135 billion pounds of food each day. We are currently growing enough to feed 10 billion people. Think about that. 82 percent of starving children live in countries where food is fed to animals, and the animals are eaten by western countries. The land required to feed one person for 1 year: Vegan-1/6th of an acre. Vegetarian- 3 times as much as a vegan. Meat eater- 18 times as much as a vegan. A person who follows a vegan diet produces the equivalent of 50 percent less carbon dioxide, uses 1/11th oil, 1/13th of water, and 1/18th of land compared to a meat eater. Each day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 45 pounds of grain, 30 sq ft of forested land, 20 pounds of CO2 equivalent, and one animals life. How much more do you really need to know, this applies to everything from food, to global depletion. It is guidelines on how to save the planet.
News flash: It's not the stone age. We honestly don't have to rely on animals for survival, so what's the excuse? Why someone would want to drink the milk of an animal that belongs to that animals baby is beyond me. Other than the fact that is what we've been taught to believe is right. You wouldn't drink a chimpanzees milk yet we share 98.8 percent of our DNA with them. A lot of the crap we have been fed are based on lies. Whether or not you want to change and make a difference for your children to come is up to you. A pig is just as cute as a puppy, why let one sleep with you and have the other for breakfast. Why love some and kill the others. I could view that all the same as racism. It is discrimination, the belief that some are superior compared to others because of their outer appearance. People always seem to think free range cows or chickens are okay. The fact is they are being held captive and it ends with them being slaughtered. There is no humane way around it. Bring on the questions so I can figure out everything I need to prove to make you understand it is the right thing to do. The one to be considered should not be why am I vegan, but why aren't you?
